Key highlights
- View Once media will not be included in the backup and can’t be restored.
- Users cannot save them on their devices.
- The media comes with end-to-end encryption.
WhatsApp rolled out the View Once feature for Android and iOS users back in 2021. It was then expanded to a desktop and web platform but it was quickly taken down due to security reasons. However, a report now claims that the instant messaging platform intends to bring back the feature for web and desktop versions of the app. The View Once feature allows users to share photos and videos that disappear after it has been seen.
WABetaInfo is claiming that soon Meta will reintroduce the View Once feature for WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp desktop versions. The privacy feature was rolled out to a few users who install the latest updates of their preferred desktop app or in case they use the latest build of WhatsApp Web.
The feature to send and open view once photos and videos from WhatsApp Web and Desktop was removed. The decision to remove the option was taken because users could open the view once message on the Desktop to take a screenshot. This was not possible on a smartphone because the feature called screenshot blocking on WhatsApp for Android and iOS was introduced.
While sharing a screenshot the report said the button to set the image as a view once the message is available within the caption bar in the drawing editor on WhatsApp for Windows. But the privacy feature will not be exclusive to WhatsApp for Windows, the company will also make it available via WhatsApp for macOS and connected devices (particularly, from the iPad WhatsApp beta).
Some users can send and receive view-once photos and videos from desktop apps after they have installed the most recent versions of WhatsApp for Windows, WhatsApp for macOS, and WhatsApp Web. Over the next few weeks, this feature is likely to be made available to more users.
On a smartphone View Once photos and videos are end-to-end encrypted so they cannot be viewed by WhatsApp. The media shared with the view once capability will disappear from your WhatsApp chat after the recipient has opened it once. However, the photos or videos will be marked with a new “one-time” icon. Once the media has been viewed the message will appear as “opened” to avoid any confusion about what was happening in the chat at the time. The receiver is also not allowed to take a screenshot, save it in their gallery, forward or star.
