WhatsApp users can save disappearing messages, but senders will have the ability to control which messages are retained.
Retained WhatsApp messages denoted with a bookmark icon located in a Kept Messages folder
Photo Credit: Bloomberg
WhatsApp has announced a new feature that affects how disappearing messages work on the messaging service. Users can now "keep" disappearing messages in chats, but senders will have the ability to decide which messages are kept. The messaging platform has announced a new 'Keep in Chat' feature that users retail a chat to access at a later date. However, it is the sender who has the power to decide whether they want other people to save their messages. Additionally, the messaging platform has also rolled out a new stable update for iOS, adding a new sticker maker tool for users running the latest version of Apple's operating system.
In its latest blog post the messaging service explains that conversations with disappearing messages do not stay forever, but users will now be able to save the useful messages for later with the 'Keep in Chat' feature. However, it is the sender who will decide whether others in the chat can keep it for later. If someone saves a chat, the sender will be notified, according to WhatsApp.
Notably, WhatsApp messages saved by users will be denoted with a bookmark icon and can be accessed in the Kept Messages folder. The feature is rolling out to users globally, according to the Meta-owned messaging platform.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp is also rolling out WhatsApp for iOS 23.7.82 update via the App Store. According to details shared by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, the latest update adds a sticker maker tool enabling users to create stickers right within the app without using third-party apps. Users can create their own custom stickers by extracting a subject out of an image on iOS 16 and pasting it into a chat.
According to WABetaInfo, the sticker maker tool is designed to work on iOS 16 and there are "no plans" to bring the functionality to devices running on older versions of iOS. Once done, it will be converted to a sticker and added to the user's sticker collection, according to the messaging service.
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