WhatsApp users are on the cusp of a feature that lets them preserve disappearing messages instead of losing them after they vanish. According to WABetaInfo, the upcoming option will give chats the ability to retain a disappearing message for later viewing when needed.
When the Disappearing Messages toggle is on, each message in the chat remains visible for 24 hours before it is removed automatically. The new saving option enables a user to keep a copy of a disappearing message if they decide it matters or if they want to reference it later. If a user changes their mind, the save action can be canceled at any moment, and the message will return to its disappearing state accordingly.
WABetaInfo notes that this functionality is still in development and not yet rolled out to a broad audience. The progress suggests a staged rollout, with a portion of users testing the feature while others wait for a public release.
Earlier reports indicated that WhatsApp was testing one-time text messages as a separate capability. In that scenario, messages would be readable only once. After the chat is closed and reopened, the message becomes hidden, and the recipient sees a notice asking the sender to forward the message again if needed. This mechanism emphasizes a heightened level of temporal privacy, where content is intentionally transient and requires fresh permission to access again.
Context from consumer tech watchdogs has also compared these approaches to competing platforms. For instance, Roskachestvo has discussed security differences between Telegram and WhatsApp in terms of data protection, encryption practices, and how messages are stored or cleared from devices. The conversations underscore an ongoing debate about which app best balances convenience with privacy for everyday communications. [Attribution: WABetaInfo; Roskachestvo reports]