WhatsApp, the instant messaging platform owned by Meta, is actively working on introducing various new features aimed at enhancing user experience. Among these updates, which include channels and a multiple-accounts feature, WhatsApp is now reportedly working on a View Once feature for voice messages. This feature is set to disappear after the recipient listens to it, much like the existing View Once feature for photos and videos on the platform.
This new feature is being seen as a significant step towards bolstering user privacy. It will prevent voice notes from being stored, forwarded, or exported, thereby ensuring an added layer of confidentiality. Currently, this feature is available to a limited number of Android and iOS users who are using the beta version of the app. To enable this feature, users need to install the latest WhatsApp beta for Android (version 2.23.22.4) via the Google Play Store or the WhatsApp beta for iOS (version 23.21.1.73) through the TestFlight app.
To activate this feature, users can simply tap a small 1 icon that appears to the right of the voice note waveform during the recording of a WhatsApp audio message. According to WABetaInfo, after sending the voice note with the View Once mode is enabled, you won’t be able to listen to it, and the recipient can no longer listen to the voice note after dismissing it.
The report also provides insight into the feature's functionality by sharing a screenshot. This screenshot reveals a new View Once icon, represented by a lock, which is accessible in the chat bar while recording a voice note. When this icon is selected, the voice note is sent in View Once mode, ensuring the recipient cannot export, forward, save, or record it. Once the voice note is sent with View Once mode activated, neither the sender nor the recipient will have access to it after it has been dismissed.
This development is in line with WhatsApp's previous introduction of a View Once feature for photos and videos in 2021. It suggests that the platform may be planning to extend a similar feature to audio messages.
Upon implementation, this feature will provide users with enhanced control and privacy when sharing voice notes, as these messages cannot be exported, forwarded, or shared with others. This heightened level of security significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised access to sensitive information and adds an extra layer of privacy to users' communication on the platform.