WhatsApp is beta testing another new feature for the messaging app – disappearing voice notes that can only be listened to once.
The latest update was reported by WABetaInfo, a website dedicated to news about the app.
Voice messages were first introduced way back in 2013, and since then have become an essential tool for many users, sending messages while on the move or when old-school text just won’t cut it.
In 2021 WhatsApp owner Meta introduced ‘View Once’ for photos and videos, meaning once the recipient had opened a message, it disappeared forever.
The move was seen as a big step for privacy by some – meaning images or videos could not be forwarded – but concerning by others, such as in the case of unwanted explicit content being shared and then disappearing.
By adding the ‘View Once’ feature to voice notes, users will have the same level of privacy, knowing the message can be heard only one time, and can’t be sent on to anyone else.
And it works both ways, with the person sending the voice note never able to listen to the recording again – bad news for more paranoid users who want to double-check how they sounded.
Users currently testing the beta version can reportedly try out the function by tapping the small ‘1’ icon that appears to the right of the voice note wave symbol when recording – the same icon as seen when sending a View Once picture or video.
Previous reports suggested the View Once feature would also be rolled out to text messages, but there does not appear to be any further news on when, or if, the functionality will arrive.
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