WhatsApp is testing a read-once disappearing messages feature, aligning itself with other Meta messaging applications. This functionality, which allows users to send messages that can be opened only once before disappearing, is currently in the iOS beta version and a pre-release Android version, as reported by WABetaInfo.
In the iOS 26.24.10.16 beta on TestFlight, users can select a “Send as view once” option after composing a message. Once sent, recipients will be able to look at the message only once and will not have the ability to copy, forward, or share it. Screenshots and screen recordings will also be blocked to maintain user privacy.
Other messaging apps, including Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, and Telegram, already support view-once messages. Previously, WhatsApp users had to use a workaround by sending screenshots of texts as disappearing images. No confirmed release date has been announced for the new feature, but its presence in the TestFlight phase suggests a potential rollout could occur soon.
