How to use the WhatsApp View Once Feature

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WhatsApp have recently introduced the View once feature While taking photos or videos on our phones has become such a big part of our lives, not everything we share needs to become a permanent digital record. On many phones, simply taking a photo means it will take up space in your camera roll forever.

For This WhatsApp have rolled out a new View Once feature for photos and videos, which enables the media to disappear from the chat after they’ve been opened, giving users even more control over their privacy.

For example, you might send a View Once photo of some new clothes you’re trying on at a store, a quick reaction to a moment in time, or something sensitive like a Wi-Fi password.  

How to use the View Once feature on WhatsApp

As with all the personal messages you send on WhatsApp, View Once media is protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot see them. They will also be clearly marked with a new “one-time” icon. 

After 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 Features of ‘View Once’ feature on WhatsApp :

  • Media will not be saved to the recipient’s Photos or Gallery.
  • Once you send a view once photo or video, you won’t be able to view it again.
  • You can’t forward, save, star, or share photos or videos that were sent or received with view once media enabled.
  • You can only see if a recipient has opened a view once photo or video if they have read receipts turned on.
  • If you don’t open the photo or video within 14 days of it being sent, the media will expire from the chat.
  • You must select view once media each time you want to send a view once photo or video.
  • View once media can be restored from backup if the message is unopened at the time of back up. If the photo or video has already been opened, the media will not be included in the backup and can’t be restored.

Note:

  • Only send photos or videos with view once media enabled to trusted individuals. For example, it’s possible for someone to:
    • Take a screenshot or screen recording of the media before it disappears. You won’t be notified if someone takes a screenshot or screen recording.
    • Take a photo or video of the media with a camera or other device before it disappears.
  • Encrypted media may be stored for a few weeks on WhatsApp’s servers after you’ve sent it.
  • If a recipient chooses to report view once media, the media will be provided to WhatsApp. You can find out more about reporting messages on WhatsApp in this article.

How to send and open view once media on Android

Send view once media
  1. Open an individual or group chat.
  2. Tap Attach, then tap:
    • Camera to take a new photo or video with your camera. Videos recorded using WhatsApp are limited to 16MB.
    • Gallery to select an existing photo or video from your phone.
  3. Tap 1.
  4. Tap Send.

You’ll see an Opened receipt in the chat once the recipient has viewed the photo or video.

Open view once media
  1. Tap the message with the 1.
  2. View the photo or video.
  3. Swipe or tap Back to exit the media viewer.

You’ll see an Opened receipt in the chat for media you’ve already viewed. Once you exit the media viewer, you can’t view the media again or report the media to WhatsApp, and it won’t be saved to your camera roll.

How to send and open view once media on iPhone

You can send a photo or video that will disappear on WhatsApp after the recipient has opened it and exited the media viewer. Once they exit the media viewer, the media will no longer be visible in that chat and they can’t view it again. View once photos and videos won’t be saved to the recipient’s Photos or Gallery, and they can’t forward them.

Send view once media
  1. Open an individual or group chat.
  2. Tap Camera to take a photo or video, or select one from your Albums. Alternatively, tap Attach, then tap:
    • Camera to take a new photo or video with your camera. Videos recorded using WhatsApp are limited to 16MB.
    • Photo & Video Library to select an existing photo or video from your iPhone’s Photos or Albums.
  3. Tap 1.
  4. Tap Send.

You’ll see an Opened receipt in the chat once the recipient has viewed the photo or video.

Note: In order to send media, you’ll need to grant WhatsApp permission to access your iPhone’s Photos and Camera in iPhone Settings > Privacy.

Open view once media
  1. Tap the message with the 1.
  2. View the photo or video.
  3. Swipe or tap Back to exit the media viewer.

You’ll see an Opened receipt in the chat for media you’ve already viewed. Once you exit the media viewer, you can’t view the media again or report the media to WhatsApp, and it won’t be saved to your camera roll.