WhatsApp Disappearing Messages Feature – What’s It All About?

You know how SnapChat has that disappearing message feature? Me neither, because I never had cause to use the app. However, even I know about the disappearing message feature. WhatsApp announced such a feature and there were all sorts of different reactions to this. Here is what the tweeple said about WhatsApp's disappearing message feature:

Reaction to leaked chats?

Like some other chat applications, WhatsApp users will have the option to activate a feature that will make messages disappear after a week. Some believe this was a reaction to certain recent events.

Recent events

TV news anchors have been brandishing leaked WhatsApp chats of celebs from a couple of years ago as proof of their involvement in the ‘Bollywood drug mafia.’

How it works

According to the WhatsApp FAQ page, “In an individual chat, either user can turn disappearing messages on or off. In a group chat, only group admins can turn disappearing messages on or off.”  Also, if auto-download of media is enabled, images and videos will download to the device and those will not be deleted after seven days even if the disappearing feature is enabled.

It’s a little complicated

While replying to a disappeared message, the quoted text may appear in the chat. If a message is forwarded to a chat that has not enabled the disappearing feature, the chat will not disappear if forwarded. It seems a little complicated; maybe the FAQs can shed light. 

Copying other apps?

Other messaging apps already have this feature. Perhaps WhatsApp took a leaf out of their book.

Undercutting other apps?

Maybe some will migrate to WhatsApp now that this feature is enabled feel some of the tweeple.

Gone

Users can enable settings to delete chats after a particular amount of time.

It may be confusing

Those of us who use the ‘search’ feature to look up old chats containing addresses, directions, numbers (as I do) may find this confusing.

Some may be unhappy

There were a lot of tweeple who reacted negatively to the disappearing messages feature.

Destroying romance?

Some fear that this will happen – however this feature can be turned on and off as required.

Unhappy for other reasons

Those who want to use past chats to prove a point may be disappointed. Truth be told, past chats are most useful for cross-examinations!

Some are really happy

The fact that auto-delete of messages can be activated was welcomed by many who dislike the tedious job of deleting messages from individual chats/groups.

And now there is #WhatsAppPay

Like so many other apps which have an in-built payment feature, WhatsApp also offers WhatsApp Pay. Like the WhatsApp disappearing messages feature, this one is also likely to trigger a lot of reactions.

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