WhatsApp is reportedly working on new options for disappearing messages that could make chats more private. At present, users can choose for their messages to disappear after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. WhatsApp may soon add two shorter timer options: 1 hour and 12 hours. This means messages could delete much faster, giving users more control over how long their messages stay.
The disappearing messages feature first rolled out in November 2020. When it started, users could only turn it on or off, and messages would disappear after seven days. Later, WhatsApp added choices like 24-hour and 90-day timers to give users more flexibility.
The one-hour timer could be useful for sharing private or sensitive information that you want to disappear quickly. However, there is a chance messages might vanish before the person you sent them to can read them. To help with this, WhatsApp may remind users when they select the one-hour timer so they know messages will delete fast.
The 12-hour timer provides a good mix of privacy and ease of use. It gives enough time for people to read and reply to messages while still keeping chats temporary. This option would be great for quick plans or short tasks where messages don’t need to be saved for long.
These new timer options were spotted in development on the WhatsApp beta for Android, but they are not available for regular users yet. These might be included in an upcoming update.
Users will still be able to turn off disappearing messages if they want to keep their chats permanently. By adding these new timers, WhatsApp aims to give users more ways to protect their privacy and manage their messages better.
Besides disappearing messages, WhatsApp is also testing other features like sending voice messages after missed calls and easier ways to select and copy messages. All these updates show how WhatsApp is working to improve how people communicate safely and easily.