JAKARTA - WhatsApp will finally roll out a temporary message feature that was tested a few months ago. This means that WhatsApp messages sent can disappear automatically after a few days.
The initial idea for this feature came from the many old messages stored on the WhatsApp application. It can also provide additional space in the smartphone storage memory.
"We aim to make conversations on WhatsApp feel more like talking face-to-face, which means the conversation doesn't have to be stored forever. That is why we are very enthusiastic about bringing in the option to use the Temporary Message feature on WhatsApp," WhatsApp said in an official statement on Thursday, November 5.
The temporary disappearing message feature can be used in individual or group chats. For individual messages, this feature can be activated automatically, while in group chats only the admin is in control of this feature.
Later messages from saved chats will be automatically deleted after seven days. So why does it get deleted automatically after seven days?
"We consider this time period to offer a sense of calm because users know the conversation is not permanent, but still practical so you don't forget what is being discussed," WhatsApp wrote.
If the user doesn't open WhatsApp for seven days, the message will disappear. However, message previews may still appear in the notification until WhatsApp is opened.
Likewise, when a user replies to a message. If the message you reply to is a temporary one, then the quoted message will probably remain in the chat after 7 days.
"If a temporary message is forwarded to a chat that turns off the temporary message feature, the message will not be lost in the forwarded chat," said WhatsApp in a blog post.
Meanwhile, if the user has made a backup before the message is lost, a temporary message will also be included in the backup. New temporary messages are deleted when users restore from backup.
WhatsApp recommends that its users only use this feature on the closest and most trusted people. The reason is, someone could just forward or take a screenshot of the Temporary Message screen before the message disappears, copy the message content, or take a picture with another device.
Temporary messages also apply to multimedia sent, for example photos, will disappear when this feature is active. However, if it has been saved to the phone storage memory, multimedia messages will not just disappear.
To use this feature, make sure to use the latest version of the WhatsApp application. After that, open the chat window, tap the contact name and select "disappearing message".
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