While the biggest news today from Meta’s messaging app world was the launch of end-to-end encryption in Messenger, the company is also bringing another useful feature to WhatsApp users: the disappearance of voice messages. The new feature will allow users to send a voice message that can only be heard once before it disappears, similar to the “View Once” option for photos and videos introduced in 2021.
The company notes that the feature could provide additional security in conversations where you don’t want the information to remain in digital form — like when you’re planning a surprise or sharing sensitive information with a friend or family member, like your credit card number intended for the use of time.
These messages will be clearly marked with a “one time” icon so the recipient knows they can only listen to the message once before it’s gone. That way, they won’t attempt to play it in a place where they might not be able to hear well, or they’ll be ready to take notes if there’s information they need to remember from the message. WhatsApp says messages are protected by default with end-to-end encryption, as are “View Once” photos and videos.
The update to WhatsApp follows a series of privacy-focused changes to Meta’s social platforms that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg heralded as the future in a 2019 address. In it, the executive made promises about security, private interactions, interoperability, encryption and more, though Meta recently quietly brought things back on one of those efforts as it announced it would stop cross-messaging on Instagram and Facebook, despite EU regulations via the Law on Digital Markets (DMA) which requires large messaging applications to be interoperable.
However, the company has made good on some encryption promises, having added encryption to WhatsApp chat backups in 2021 and now finally rolling out end-to-end encryption on Messenger.
WhatsApp’s new View Once feature for voice messages will roll out globally in the coming days, the company says. This means you may not see the option right away in your app, but it will appear soon.
