WhatsApp: Texts that only open once Apfelpatient

WhatsApp is apparently developing a feature that will allow text-only messages to be opened only once – after which they become inaccessible. Until now, this "View Once" option was reserved for photos, videos, and voice messages. This would further expand the messenger's range of ephemeral message formats on the iPhone.

WhatsApp has been increasingly focusing on messages with an expiration date for some time now. Just a few weeks ago, an option appeared in a beta version that makes messages disappear only after they've been read, adding another variation to the existing self-deleting features. Now, WABetaInfo, a service specializing in WhatsApp beta findings, reports that another ephemeral feature is in development: one-time text messages, modeled after the already available ViewOnce media. According to the report, the new feature is not yet available – not even for beta testers.

This is how sending a one-time message should work

According to WABetaInfo, the method for accessing this feature should be familiar: After typing a message into the input line, the "View Once" option can be accessed by long-pressing the send button. A selection menu will then appear with the entry "Send as view once". Once the message is sent, the recipient can open and read it exactly once before it disappears and is no longer accessible.

Anyone who has already used View Once for photos or videos should find their way around immediately – the operating principle would remain identical, only for pure text.

No copying, forwarding or recording

The security concept behind this feature goes beyond mere disappearance. Once received, such a message should be neither copyable nor forwardable, nor shareable in any other way. Additionally, WhatsApp should block screenshots and screen recordings, ensuring that the content cannot be permanently saved in any form. The message would thus be limited to a single, fleeting moment with the recipient.

Available in individual and group chats, not in channels

According to the report, the feature is planned for both individual chats and groups. However, it will not be available in channels: the broadcast nature of communication there is simply not suitable for messages that disappear after being viewed once. WhatsApp is also developing the feature for Android devices.

WABetaInfo sees a particular practical benefit for those who currently have to resort to a workaround: Anyone who wants to make text visible only once currently writes it in an image and sends this as a view-once medium. A native text solution would make this workaround unnecessary.

Part of a broader data protection initiative

One-time messages are part of a series of ephemeral features that WhatsApp has recently been working on. The official self-destructing messages currently support timers of 24 hours, 7 days, and 90 days; the "After Reading" option, seen in the beta, would add a trigger to this logic, starting the countdown only after the message is opened. Neither feature has been widely rolled out yet. In addition, the messenger is continuously expanding its iPhone app in other areas, such as broader support for multiple accounts on the same device.

When the one-off messages might appear

The report doesn't specify a date. The feature is "currently under development" and "not available for beta testing." Following the usual pattern, however, it shouldn't be long before at least some TestFlight users gain access – as a precursor to a wider rollout at a later date. Until then, the one-time text message remains a promising example of how consistently WhatsApp is pushing the boundaries of ephemeral communication. (Image: Shutterstock / DenPhotos)