WhatsApp is one of the best messaging apps for Android, and what makes it a particularly great choice is the focus on privacy and security. The latest privacy feature to make its way to the platform is "View Once" media; you can now send photos and videos that will disappear after they've been opened once. The feature is now available to all WhatsApp users around the world, so let's take a look at how to send View Once photos and videos in WhatsApp.
How to send 'View Once' disappearing photos and videos in WhatsApp
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Select a contact or group chat to whom you want to send View Once media.
- Tap the Attach button at the bottom.
- Choose Camera if you're looking to record a video or take a photo, or hit Gallery if you want to send media that's already on your device.
- Select the media you want to send.
- Hit the One-time icon at the bottom to set the media as View Once.
- You'll see a dialog box that says the photo or video can only be viewed once. Hit Ok.
- You should now see the One-time icon highlighted in green. That means the media you're sending can only be viewed once.
- Hit the Send button to send the View Once photo or video.
View Once media works a little differently to regular photos and videos shared on WhatsApp. When you send a photo or video tagged as View Once, the media shows up as a text notation (Photo or Video) with a "one-time" icon next to it, instead of the usual media preview thumbnail. Once you tap the media, you'll see a dialog box stating the photo or video will disappear after you exit the media viewer.
After you return to the chat, the photo or video automatically disappears, and you'll see an "Opened" receipt on the media. Like everything else with WhatsApp, View Once media is secured by end-to-end encryption, and the feature works with both one-to-one and group chats. Recipients will not be able to forward, save, star, or share media tagged as View Once, but they can take a screenshot of the same, so as with everything you share digitally, you'll need to exercise caution.
WhatsApp also offers a disappearing messages feature where all text and media in a chat — whether it's one-to-one or a group chat — will disappear after seven days. The View Once mode is an extension of that, with the feature designed to provide an additional layer of privacy. The feature is now available on the best Android phones as well as iPhones, so if you're eager to try it out, you can do so right now.
