Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that there is a new WhatsApp feature “View Once” on its way to be launched publicly. The “View Once” feature is similar to the one we can catch a glimpse of on Instagram where the user selects a clock-like icon to share any photo or video with friends to be viewed only once. The photo or video shared by enabling this feature will make them disappear after the receiver views them one time.
WeBetaInfo, the portal which keeps an eye on the updates regulated by WhatsApp, shared some screenshots that revealed this “View Once” feature in detail. They chose photos from Gallery as we do generally and were able to send the disappearing photos by simply enabling the feature by clicking on the clock-like icon similar to the one we see as one of the options while sharing an Instagram story with a friend. Striking on the icon beside the “Add a caption” column will make the photo or video disappear after the receiver views it once and exits the chat.
This feature has been launched for Android devices for now; users with WhatsApp‘s 2.21.14.3 edition can only discover it. Now, if you are excited to use this feature to share photos, videos or GIFs with your family or friends then you can check for the View once option while sharing media. If you are not able to spot this button then you have not received this feature and it might pop up by the succeeding update.
WeBetaInfo also notified about some certain points to be kept in mind before using this feature like the receiver can however take a screenshot or can screen record the photo or video you shared via the View Once feature and there will be no notification to alert you about the same. Blocked contacts who are participants of some common groups will be able to view the photo or video you share in the common group but will not be able to connect with you. The sender can check who has viewed the View Once media in the group by “Message Info” segment even if the read receipts are turned off, however the sender will not know the time the recipient opened it.
