Earlier in this month, WhatsApp announced the disappearing messages feature. Now it is available to everyone. If you enable this feature, the individual or group chat messages will disappear after seven days.

Here are certain things to know about WhatsApp Disappearing message feature:

Either user can turn on or off the disappearing messages feature for individual chats, whereas the group admins can turn on or off the feature for group chats.

If a user does not open WhatsApp in seven days, the message will disappear. Yet, user can view the preview of the message in the notification until they open WhatsApp.

The message is quoted if you reply to it. For disappearing message also, the quoted text might remain after seven days.

If a disappearing message is forwarded without enabling the feature, i.e. the disappearing messages feature off, then the message might visible in the forward chat as it would not disappear.

Similarly, users can get disappearing messages in their backup if they create a backup before they disappear. However, if they restore messages from a backup, disappearing messages will be deleted.

WhatsApp advises using the feature with trusted people. Users can take a screenshot or photo of a message before it disappears. Or copy and save the content of the disappearing message.

Media messages won’t disappear as they will be downloaded to your photos automatically. Even if you turn on the disappearing feature, they will be saved in the photos if the auto-download option is enabled on your phone. However, these messages will disappear in your chat.

If you want to enable the disappearing messages feature, then open WhatsApp and visit the profile of a person you want to enable the feature for. By scrolling down, you will notice the feature. Tap on it. Before enabling the feature, read the instructions carefully. Then select ‘On’ to enable the feature. You have to follow the same procedure to disable the feature.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/864864