WhatsApp starts testing View-Once disappearing messages on iOS
WhatsApp is testing another privacy-focused messaging feature, this time for iPhone users. After first appearing on Android beta builds last month, the company has now started testing its new View-Once disappearing messages feature on iOS as well. The feature was spotted by WABetaInfo in WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.19.10.72.
At a basic level, the idea is simple. Instead of messages disappearing after a fixed time from when they are sent, the timer starts only after the recipient reads them.
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How the feature works
The new setting appears under Default message timer inside WhatsApp’s settings menu as an “After reading” option. Once enabled, users can choose between three timers: 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours. After the recipient opens the message, the countdown begins automatically. When the selected time expires, the message disappears from both sides of the chat.
WhatsApp is also building in a limit for unread messages. If the recipient never opens the chat, the message gets deleted automatically after 24 hours. The timing system works separately for each user. For example, if you send a message at 10 AM with a 5-minute timer, it disappears from your own phone at 10.05 AM. If the recipient opens it later at 10.10 AM, the message remains visible on their device until 10.15 AM.
It’s a small shift compared to WhatsApp’s current disappearing messages feature, but it changes the use case quite a bit. This setup makes more sense for temporary information that only needs to stay visible briefly after being read, like addresses, passwords, OTPs, meeting details, or quick personal conversations.
Apps like Snapchat have used read-based disappearing messages for years, while rivals such as Telegram and Signal already offer their own versions of timed chats and self-destructing messages. WhatsApp has been gradually catching up in this area by expanding its privacy controls beyond basic end-to-end encryption.
At the same time, disappearing messages still come with practical limitations. They reduce message permanence inside chats, but they do not completely prevent screenshots, external recording, or manual saving.
Availability
Right now, the feature appears limited to some beta testers on iOS. WhatsApp has already been testing the same functionality on Android since last month, which suggests the company is preparing the feature for a wider rollout across both platforms. There is still no official word on when the feature will become available publicly.
As with most WhatsApp beta updates, testing does not always guarantee an immediate launch. But once features begin appearing across both Android and iOS beta versions, they usually move closer to stable release over time.
