WhatsApp is expanding its popular "View Once" feature beyond photos and videos to now include text messages as well. The new capability is currently rolling out to select Android beta testers, allowing written messages to automatically disappear after being read once.
To use the feature, senders will need to select a specific icon before sending a message to enable "view once" mode. Once the recipient opens and reads the message, it will vanish from the chat history instead of remaining visible like a regular text. This functionality is similar to the disappearing message concepts seen on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, but operates within WhatsApp's existing end-to-end encryption framework.
As of now, the feature remains in beta testing, and WhatsApp has not announced an official timeline for a wider public rollout. Given WhatsApp's position as the dominant messaging platform in many regions, including Myanmar, this privacy-focused addition could offer users more control over sensitive or temporary text conversations once it becomes widely available.
This development reflects a broader trend among messaging apps toward offering users more flexible privacy options for different types of content, from media to now plain text messages.
