WhatsApp is having a busy week. The Android version of the chat app added passkey support on Tuesday and a bottom tab design earlier this week. The Meta-owned instant messaging app is now rolling out a feature that will allow users on both iOS and Android to set voice notes as ‘view once,’ as the app already does for other types of media. The feature is currently in beta testing and should be available to general users in the coming days.
WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo reports that the app is rolling out a new privacy feature to beta users, bringing self-destructing voice notes. WhatsApp users may currently select ‘view once’ when sending images and videos to contacts via the app. The same feature is now set to arrive for voice notes as well.
According to reports, the feature is now available to select beta testers on WhatsApp beta for Android via the Google Play Store and WhatsApp beta for iOS via the TestFlight app. WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.21.15 and 2.23.22.4 are compatible updates for the ‘view once’ mode feature for audio messages. WhatsApp beta 23.21.1.73 for iOS is said to be compatible with the update.
As previously mentioned, the feature is now only available to a limited number of beta testers, with a wider rollout likely in the following days. When the ‘view once’ mode is enabled, voice notes cannot be saved or forwarded to other users.
WABetaInfo also provided screenshots of the feature in testing, showing the familiar ‘view once’ icon in the voice message chat bar. When you tap the icon, the voice note will be sent in ‘view once’ mode. The voice note sent with this feature turned on cannot be replayed, saved, or shared.
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WhatsApp’s privacy features have recently been improved. The app was recently reported to be working on a new secret code feature for locked chats, allowing users to generate a personalized password for their protected chat folders.
WhatsApp also added support for passkeys on Android this week, allowing users to log back into their accounts securely using biometric verification or their device PIN. With this functionality, users may use their Android phones’ face unlock or fingerprint scanner to log back into their WhatsApp account using a passkey stored on their device.