The biggest messaging platform WhatsApp has today announced the introduction of their latest feature which will see messages disappear after 7 days.
According to a WhatsApp statement, either person in a one-on-one chat can turn disappearing messages on or off. In group chats, administrators will have the control.
“We’re starting with 7 days because we think it offers peace of mind that conversations aren’t permanent, while remaining practical so you don’t forget what you were chatting about,” reads the statement. “Our goal is make conversations on WhatsApp feel as close to in-person as possible, which means they shouldn’t have to stick around forever.”
The company said the feature aims to make conversation “feel lighter and more private.”
“Our goal is make conversations on WhatsApp feel as close to in-person as possible, which means they shouldn’t have to stick around forever. That’s why we’re excited to introduce the option to use disappearing messages on WhatsApp.” Said the company in a statement
Yet again, the Facebook owned app finds itself playing catch up against its rival Telegram that already has secret chat feature where messages disappear instantly.
According to WhatsApp, the plan is to narrow the disappearing time frame as close to a day as possible, however, they are contented with just 7 days for the start.
Because of the safety that Telegram has given users and the self destruct for messages, the App has seen a huge rise of downloads and usage over the last 8 months.
Should WhatsApp find a way of bridging that gap then they could be able to retain their clients that had started to find their way to the Russian owned app.
According to the Messaging company, the feature will be available to both Android and iOS platforms this very month.
Users can also create a backup before a message disappears and include the message in the backup. Disappearing messages will be deleted when a user restores from a backup.
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