The messaging application has just deployed a feature to send ephemeral messages that disappear after seven days. Here’s how to activate it.
WhatsApp now offers the possibility to send temporary messages. This new feature, announced earlier this month, is now rolled out and available to all users.
This function can be activated both from an individual conversation by one or the other of the participants and from a group conversation (by an administrator only), this function makes it possible to see the messages sent disappear after a period of seven days, and that the temporary message has been read or not.
Be careful, however, if the messages disappear from the initial conversation, nothing prevents a recipient from forwarding them to another discussion, or even taking a screenshot of them. Here’s how to take advantage of ephemeral messages now.
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1. Enter the options of a conversation
Open the app on your smartphone and go into a conversation. Tap the name of the caller or discussion to access the options for that discussion.
2. Activate temporary messages
In the conversation options, enter the Temporary messages menu, press Continue in the explanatory pop-up that appears, and then select Yes.
Your recipient should then automatically receive a notification informing them of the activation of this feature in the conversation. Note that a small clock icon should appear on the correspondent’s profile picture to indicate that temporary messages are enabled in the chat.
The recipient can, if they wish, deactivate the function by entering the detailed information of the conversation in the Temporary messages menu.