WhatsApp is adding view‑once text messages, extending the app’s existing view‑once media for photos, videos and voice notes. After typing a message, users long‑press the Send button, choose “Send as view once” from a dropdown, and the view‑once text disappears after a single read. The option works in one‑on‑one chats and groups, but not in channels.

Last month a WhatsApp beta on Test Flight introduced an “after reading” toggle for disappearing messages, joining the existing 24‑hour, 7‑day and 90‑day timers. That tweak let messages vanish once opened, but text could not use the view‑once mode, forcing users to embed text in images. The new text‑only option closes that loophole.

The feature remains in development and is not yet available to beta testers, but insiders expect a rollout to select Test Flight users within weeks. By giving text the same ephemerality as media, WhatsApp narrows a gap that competitors like Signal and Telegram have already filled. Users will soon be able to send truly disposable messages across chats.

The addition reinforces Meta’s strategy to keep WhatsApp central to private, time‑sensitive conversations, strengthening its appeal amid growing concerns over data permanence. By limiting how long a message lives, the platform hopes to curb screenshot sharing and bolster user trust, a move that could sway business users wary of lingering chat records.