WhatsApp put an end to a popular feature, but now it’s back

A year after removing the popular View Once feature for photos and videos from WhatsApp Web and Desktop, Meta is reintroducing it to users.

The ability to send media that could only be seen once before disappearing – or ‘self-destructing’ – was introduced by WhatsApp in 2021.

When launching the feature, WhatsApp said: “Determine how long a message lasts.”

The move was hailed by many as a victory for privacy by preventing photos and videos from being shared with other users.

However, a number of children’s charities have raised concerns about the feature, warning that it could allow perpetrators to share and commit child abuse.

These concerns aside, users loved the new feature, making it one of the app’s most popular features. That’s why they were quite upset last year when it was blocked on desktop.

WhatsApp removed the feature because, unlike smartphones, it could not prevent users from taking screenshots of the media.

But a year later they brought the feature back, although it was not confirmed whether the problem was fixed or not. Not everyone on WhatsApp Web or Desktop has this feature yet, but it should be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

WhatsApp news site WABetaInfo reported the news: “In our opinion, restoring the ability to send one-time messages from desktop apps is very beneficial for users.”

“This reintroduction will finally allow users to send photos and videos that can only be viewed once, preventing them from being stored in the device’s memory and ensuring a higher level of privacy.”

“This feature ensures that sensitive or temporary content remains ephemeral even when sent from a desktop app, increasing user control over shared media.”

“The inability to send view-once messages from desktop apps resulted in significant user complaints last year, underscoring the importance of this feature.”

The move comes weeks after the site revealed that WhatsApp was also testing a voice note listening feature.

Voice messaging was launched in 2013 and quickly became an essential tool for sending messages on the go or for messages that deserve more than a text message.

The One Listen feature works both ways, with the sender unable to listen to the recording once it’s been sent – bad news if you can’t remember what you sent the morning of the night before.

Previous reports suggested that the View Once feature would also be rolled out to text messages, but there appears to be no further news on when or if the feature will be available.

The app will soon also make it possible to hide blocked chats – a dream for many fraudsters. The Locked Chat feature debuted earlier this year and allows users to encrypt specific chats and hide notifications from them.

However, the fact that someone had blocked chats was quite clear in their chat menu. Soon the locked chat folder will also be better hidden.

A new privacy feature is coming soon that will allow users to share a different profile photo and username with specific people.

How to send View Once media on WhatsApp

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat you want to send a photo or video to
2. Tap the plus sign (iOS) or paperclip (Android).
3. Select ‘Photo & Video Library’.
4. Select the image or video you want to send
5. After you add a caption, but before you click Send, tap the 1 icon
6. This specifies that the media should be displayed once
7. When you’re happy with your message, tap the arrow icon to send.