One of the tests that WhatsApp is carrying out is going to mean a huge change in the way we share multimedia content: soon we will be able to make the images disappear once they are viewed . And we have been able to test it: WhatsApp allows you to activate the function at the code level.
Privacy is increasingly important in all technological aspects, especially in those where we share more personal information. And there is no doubt that messaging applications pose a huge risk to our privacy since, due to how close conversations can be, we tend to share content that could harm us if we go public. Because, wouldn’t it be a good idea to be able to choose whether a photo should self-destruct after a first viewing? Well, WhatsApp is about to include it.
Multimedia content that self-destructs
WhatsApp has been testing disappearing messages for some time, an option very similar to the secret chats of applications such as Telegram or Signal. And a couple of days ago WaBetaInfo discovered that the developers had included in the code an option that significantly improves privacy: images, videos and gifs that are erased after a first glance. In this way we can share content that will not be saved in the gallery and that cannot be played again .
The option is already in the code of the latest beta of WhatsApp for Android, although it cannot yet be activated directly . Yes, activation can be done if the mobile is ‘rooted’ and the app code is altered, both manually and with applications such as WaTweaker. The latter is what we have tested.
Once the option of self-destructing content is activated, a small icon appears to the left of ‘Add comment’. This icon is circular and is marked with a ‘1’: it means that the image, video or Gif that we send will disappear after the other person sees it. This content will not be saved in the gallery of the contact we send it to. And you will not be able to access it again as it will have automatically disappeared from the conversation.
Self-destructing images, videos and Gifs can be sent both in private chats and in group conversations : once the image is downloaded, and each member of the chat sees it once, the content will disappear from their phone. The pity is that, at least for the moment, WhatsApp does not block screenshots, so the content could be equally immortalized. Hopefully this will be corrected when the feature reaches all mobiles.
We have been running tests and the feeling is positive. Of course, both contacts must have the option of self-destructing content and they need the latest version of WhatsApp (private content is sent, but the other contact cannot view it since their WhatsApp is not compatible).