WhatsApp launches ‘View Once’ that deletes photos, videos once seen

"Media will not be saved to the recipient's Photos or Gallery. Once you send a view once photo or video, you won't be able to view it again," WhatApp said in a statement on Tuesday.

New Delhi: WhatsApp has now rolled out a ‘View Once’ feature which will allow users to send photos and videos that will disappear from the chat after the recipient views them.

The messaging app explained that a photo or a video will immediately be deleted from the chat once opened by the recipient through WhatsApp’s ‘View Once’ feature. The message will be shown as “opened” once the media content has been viewed.

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However, the recipient will also be able to see that it is a ‘view once’ photo/video. So, make sure you use the feature for people you trust would not take a screenshot. Also, WhatsApp mentioned in a blog post that the sender will not be notified if someone takes a screenshot or screen recording.

Also, the shared media in ‘View Once’ feature will also not be saved in the gallery saving the much hassle led by overwhelming WhatsApp media on a daily basis. In addition to that, if the recipient doesn’t open the photo or video within 14 days of it being sent, the media will expire from the chat.

“View once media can be restored from backup if the message is unopened at the time of backup. If the photo or video has already been opened, the media will not be included in the backup and can’t be restored,” WhatsApp said in its blog post.

How to send a ‘View Once’ photo/ video:

• Open an individual or group chat.
• Take a new photo or video with your camera or attach one from the photo gallery. Videos recorded using WhatsApp are limited to 16MB.
• Tap 1 and send.
• You’ll see an Opened receipt in the chat once the recipient has viewed the photo or video

To open ‘View Once’ media:

• Tap the message with the 1.
• View the photo or video.
• Swipe or tap ‘Back’ to exit the media viewer.
• You’ll see an ‘Opened’ receipt in the chat for media you’ve already viewed. Once you exit the media viewer, you can’t view the media again or report the media to WhatsApp, and it won’t be saved to your camera roll.

In a blog post, WhatsApp said: “‘View Once’ media feature can be used for sharing pictures like trying new clothes at a store, a quick reaction to a moment in time, or something sensitive like a Wi-Fi password.”