Last year we saw the early stages of disappearing messages from WhatsApp. The only problem was, you need to activate it for each chat. The feature is now rolling out to final release users and you can set it as a default.
WhatsApp users will now have the option to turn on disappearing messages by default for all new chats. When enabled, all new one-on-one chats you or another person start will be set to disappear at your chosen duration, and we’ve added a new option when creating a group chat that lets you turn it on for groups you create. This new feature is optional and does not change or delete any of your existing chats.
To set up disappearing messages you simply need to:
- Open WhatsApp on your mobile
- Head to Settings > Account > Privacy > Default message timer
- Choose your disappearing message timer: 1, 7 or 90 days
Once this is set — keep in mind, the feature is rolling out now and may not be on your device yet — all new chats will adhere to the timer. Old chats, however, will not – so if you’ve got a chat going where you might like a bit more privacy protection then it might be worth deleting it and starting fresh.
It’s a continued effort from WhatsApp to improve user perception of the platform. Is the work their team continue to put in enough to keep you on board?
