WhatsApp May Soon Add ‘View Once’ Feature to Self‑Destruct Media
- Nishadil
- June 06, 2026
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- 2 minutes read
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WhatsApp is testing a ‘view once’ option for photos and videos, reports suggest
A new “view once” feature is reportedly in the works for WhatsApp, letting users send media that vanishes after a single glance, mirroring options on Instagram and Snapchat.
Rumour has it that WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature many of us have been waiting for – a “view once” option for images and videos. The idea? You snap a pic, send it, and once the recipient opens it, the media disappears forever, as if it were never there.
According to insiders who have peeked at the upcoming updates, the feature is still in the testing phase, but the signs are hard to ignore. In internal builds, a small eye‑icon appears next to the attachment options, hinting that the media can be set to self‑destruct after a single view.
This move feels like a direct response to the popularity of similar tools on platforms like Instagram’s Stories and Snapchat’s snaps. Those apps have long let users share fleeting moments without leaving a permanent footprint, and the demand for that kind of privacy has only grown.
WhatsApp’s leadership has repeatedly emphasized end‑to‑end encryption as its core promise. Adding a “view once” toggle would layer an extra safeguard on top, giving users more control over how long their visual content lingers.
Of course, there are practical questions. Will the feature work for all types of media? How will it handle screenshots? And what about the inevitable workarounds that tech‑savvy users devise? The early reports suggest WhatsApp is still ironing out those details.
While there’s no official launch date yet, analysts predict a rollout later this year, perhaps as part of a broader update that also brings other privacy‑centric tweaks. If the rumors hold true, we’ll soon see a new way to share those candid moments without worrying about them becoming forever‑etched on someone’s phone.
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