Once and That's It: WhatsApp's New Feature for Privacy Protection

Meta begins rolling out view-once text messages on WhatsApp, which are permanently deleted after opening. The feature, reported by WABetaInfo, blocks screenshots and copying, and is intended for secure sharing of passwords. It is now available to beta users on Android.

Meta has started deploying view-once text messages on WhatsApp, which are permanently deleted immediately after the recipient opens them. The feature, reported by WABetaInfo, is designed for secure sharing of passwords and sensitive information. To send such a message, the user types the text as usual, long-presses the send button, and selects the view-once option. On the receiving end, the content is not revealed in the regular thread; the recipient taps the message and it opens in a separate read-only window. Closing the window permanently deletes the message from both devices. The system blocks screenshots, video recording, copying, and forwarding of the content. The feature was detected in beta version 2.26.45.6 for Android and is now being rolled out to select beta users, with a wider launch expected in the coming weeks.