WhatsApp tests “view once” text messages and new voice note widget
The Meta-owned WhatsApp is currently experimenting with the latest privacy and messaging features aimed at enhancing control and convenience for users on both Android and iOS.
The forthcoming feature is “view once” text messages that would enable users to send messages that disappear after being opened once.
To access the feature, users are required to long-press the send button and choose “Send as view once.”
Once the recipient reads the message, it is automatically deleted.
The feature is likely to work in one-to-one chats and group chats, but channels may not receive the update.
Notably, the reported feature is currently under the testing process and not yet available in public beta.
This expands the Meta-owned WhatsApp’s existing “view once” option that applies to videos, photos, and voice messages.
Alongside this update, WhatsApp is also preparing to release a voice message widget for Android. This widget may enable users to record and send voice notes directly from the home screen without opening the app, which is seemingly interesting to think about this change.
It is expected to appear in a compact, resizable 3×1 format with a microphone icon and a “Tap to Record” prompt.
After recording, users could select contacts to send the message, and there may also be an option to send a single voice note to multiple recipients at once, aiming to offer enhanced convenience.
Both features remain under development, and WhatsApp has not announced an official release date.
