- WhatsApp has explained how message disappearing works on the platform.
- It looks like the implementation isn’t quite as customizable or secure as other apps.
WhatsApp has been working on expired messages (called Disappearing Messages) for several months and is following in the footsteps of competing messaging apps. It looks like the company is about to implement the feature as they just updated their FAQ page.
The updated page discovered by WABetaInfo, reveals everything we need to know about messages disappearing on WhatsApp. And unfortunately, the function seems to lag far behind similar functions in other apps.
Probably the biggest blow to the WhatsApp feature is that it’s a simple toggle on and off. In the meantime, both signal and telegram offer customizable expiration times that vary from a few seconds to a week. In particular, WhatsApps disappearing messages only disappear after seven days. Look at a picture of WABetaInfo below.
Another notable downside to using this feature is that, by default, the recipient’s phone will automatically save media that is sent via disappearing messages anyway. The frequently asked questions indicate that users must turn off the auto download feature (Settings> Data and Storage Usage) to stop this behavior, but it is likely required for every user in a chat. You wonder what the good of messages disappearing if they don’t go away by default.
The FAQ section also states that quoting a self-erasing message in a reply means that the message may remain in a chat after seven days. Additionally, disappearing messages will not delete themselves when forwarded to a WhatsApp chat with Disappeared Messages disabled. These two behaviors are pretty strange as you’d think that even a quoted self-erasing message would be omitted (leaving only the answer) and forwarding those ephemeral messages would not be possible.
The team also notes that users can screenshot a self-deleting message instead of offering screenshot notifications like they do with Snapchat and Telegram. In other words, you should make better use of these two services and Signal if you really want more security in message self-deleting.
Next: Using WhatsApp – A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
