So far, WhatsApp has allowed you to send disappearing messages that expire after seven days. In the upcoming builds of this app, you’ll now have the ability to send self-destructing images as well. This will let you set an expiry date for the images that you share via this app.
How Self-Destructing Images on WhatsApp Will Work
As spotted by WABetaInfo and shared on Twitter, the future versions of WhatsApp will come with the ability to have your sent images automatically deleted after the specified expiry date.
WhatsApp is working on self-destructing photos in a future update for iOS and Android.
• Self-destructing photos cannot be exported from WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp didn’t implement a screenshot detection for self-destructing photos yet.Same concept from Instagram Direct. ⏱ pic.twitter.com/LLsezVL2Hj
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 3, 2021
This means, if you want to send an image to someone, but you don’t want them to keep the image forever, you can send a self-destructing image to them. This image will disappear from their WhatsApp as well as their phone after the expiry date.
How to Use Self-Destructing Images on WhatsApp
The feature is yet to be rolled out, however, there are some screenshots from WABetaInfo that confirm the feature will appear on the image-sharing screen.
When you’re sharing an image with someone, you’ll now see a timer icon. You can tap this icon to set an expiry date for your image. Once you’ve done this, your photo will be removed from the recipient’s phone after the expiry date.
The recipient will get a notification telling them that the image will auto-expire after a certain time. This keeps the conversation transparent between you and the recipient.
What Else Do You Need to Know?
There are a few things you need to know with regard to this upcoming feature.
First, you will not be able to export images that have been shared using the self-destructing images feature. This means, your recipients won’t be able to save a copy of your images from WhatsApp. This is good and this is how it should be.
Second, WhatsApp hasn’t yet added the restriction to prevent capturing screenshots of your images. This means, when you send a self-destructing image to someone, they can take a screenshot of the image and save it to their phone.
That second point basically eliminates the whole purpose of the self-destructing images feature. Basically, anyone can take a screenshot of your images and keep them forever with them, without your consent. There aren’t even any notifications telling you that your image’s screenshot was captured.
Send Images That Disappear After a While in WhatsApp
Not all your images have to remain on the recipients’ phones forever. With this new feature, you’ll be able to send images knowing your images will disappear after your specified date. Although this is not how it ideally should be, it should help you out to some extent, at least.