WhatsApp disappearing messages: How do they work and how to enable them

3 years ago 311

(Pocket-lint) - WhatsApp's disappearing messages diagnostic means caller messages sent wrong an idiosyncratic chat volition automatically vanish aft 7 days erstwhile turned on.

Disappearing messages is simply a diagnostic disposable connected immoderate different services, similar Signal, but this is however the diagnostic works connected WhatsApp, what to ticker retired for and however to alteration the feature.

How does disappearing messages connected WhatsApp work?

Seven days
Individual chat basis
Admins lone for radical chats

Disappearing messages is simply a diagnostic that needs to beryllium enabled connected WhatsApp. Once you person enabled the feature, messages sent successful an idiosyncratic oregon radical chat volition vanish aft 7 days. At the moment, you can't alteration that magnitude of time, similar you tin with Signal's equivalent.

Messages that were sent oregon received erstwhile to the disappearing messages diagnostic being enabled won't beryllium affected truthful you'll inactive beryllium capable to presumption them.

The diagnostic volition person to beryllium enabled for each idiosyncratic chat - truthful it isn't thing you tin crook connected by default for each messages - and either idiosyncratic wrong the idiosyncratic chat tin crook the diagnostic connected oregon off. In a radical chat, lone the radical admins volition beryllium capable to crook disappearing messages connected oregon off.

What should you ticker retired for?

Previews
Replies
Screenshots
Backups

Messages could inactive look arsenic a preview successful notifications if a idiosyncratic hasn't opened WhatsApp for 7 days. The preview would vanish erstwhile WhatsApp is opened however.

If you reply to a disappearing message, the archetypal connection could inactive look successful the chat aft the 7 time period.

If the disappearing messages is forwarded to a chat that doesn't person disappearing messages enabled, the connection won't vanish successful that chat and volition inactive beryllium visible.

If a backup is created earlier the disappearing connection disappears, the connection volition beryllium included successful the backup but disappearing messages volition beryllium deleted erstwhile you reconstruct from a backup.

It's besides worthy noting that screenshots and photos tin inactive beryllium taken of a disappearing connection earlier it goes and users tin besides transcript and prevention contented from a disappearing connection earlier it disappears.

What astir photos and media?

Saved by default

WhatsApp automatically saves media that comes done the work to your photos by default.

It tin beryllium turned disconnected - see our WhatsApp tips and tricks diagnostic for help - but that means that portion media and images would vanish if disappearing messages is enabled for that chat, they would inactive beryllium saved connected the recipients phone.