WhatsApp testing ‘Expiring Media’ feature in Beta app

New Delhi: WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new ‘Expiring Media’ feature that will let users send self-destructing media on the popular messaging app.

The upcoming ‘Expiring Media’ feature is an extension to another under-development feature called ‘Expiring Messages’.

WABetainfo, a website that tracks WhatsApp in Beta, has spotted Expiring Media as part of WhatsApp for Android’s new beta version 2.20.201.1.

This upcoming WhatsApp feature is similar to that found in Snapchat, which was later copied by Instagram.

When this feature will be enabled, users will have an option to set expiration when they share media files, the report said.

Those who will receive any “Expiring Media” can only view them for a single time and once they exit the chat, they will disappear without any trace unlike “This message was deleted” message when the sender deletes messages.

The feature will be visible only to admins of a group. For individual chats, the feature will offer various options that the user can select for the app to automatically delete messages.

WhatsApp will also show a ‘timer’ symbol on the profile picture when the feature is enabled in a specific chat.

Currently, there is no word on when exactly the feature will arrive for users or whether or not users will be able to screenshot the same.

Once available, the earlier ‘Expiring Message’ feature which is also in Beta currently will come with a toggle on/off button and users can choose a stipulated time — 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or 1 year — for the messages to automatically disappear.