WhatsApp Will Soon Let Users Send Messages That Auto-Delete After Being Seen

However, these timers begin immediately after sending a message, regardless of whether it has been read.

This feature was discovered in a recent Android beta version of the app and completely changes how disappearing messages work. Unlike the current system where messages delete after a fixed time from when they are sent, the new feature will start the countdown only after the recipient opens the message. This will make disappearing messages more practical.

Early testing suggests users may be able to select different deletion periods once a message is read, including options like five minutes, one hour, or twelve hours. It hasn’t been clarified if the new setting could be applied either to individual chats or across all conversations.

With the new update, the new timing feature will only activate after the message has been viewed. For example, if a user chooses a five-minute limit, the message will remain available until it is read and then automatically delete five minutes later.