- WhatsApp is working on a self-destructive image feature.
- These images are terminated as soon as a user leaves a chat and cannot be exported from the app.
- It’s unclear when the feature will be available on Android or iOS.
WhatsApp users may still be aware of the upcoming privacy policy revision, but the app is still working on adding privacy-conscious features. Speckled by WABetaInfoFuture WhatsApp versions on Android and iOS could have a self-destructive image function.
The function is shown in detail in a series of screenshots and is not a novel idea. We’ve already seen it in a number of alternative chat apps.
The functionality is reminiscent of Instagram Direct. Users can activate the self-destruct function per picture by tapping a small button next to the subtitle editor. Enabling the feature ensures that the picture cannot be exported from WhatsApp and that the picture will be terminated if a recipient leaves the chat. That button also has a number in it – what appears to be a self-destructing timer.
In addition to its utility, the feature will be available in both group and private chats. Image previews in chats are also obfuscated until a recipient taps the image to view it.
The addition comes after WhatsApp introduced self-destructive messages in November 2020. However, unlike the new image feature, Self-Destructing Messages lacks some key privacy features. If these messages contain media, the content will be stored on the recipient’s device. Self-destructive images add at least one more layer of privacy and give senders a little more control over their media.
It is unclear when self-destructive imagery will be introduced, however WABetaInfo also notes that a screenshot ban for these images is also in the works.
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