The WhatsApp mobile app should start blocking screenshots of disappearing photos and videos to protect the privacy of once-view media in chats. Here’s what you need to know.
- What is happening? WhatsApp is currently testing one-shot media screenshot prevention with beta users ahead of its public launch next month.
- Why care? Two reasons. First, increased privacy for your disappearing photos and videos. Secondly, after this change, you will not be able to send or receive once-view media via WhatsApp Desktop and Web.
- What to do? If you’re using the beta version of WhatsApp (available on TestFlight for iPhone users), ask a friend to send you a single-view photo and try taking a screenshot of it.
WhatsApp will start blocking screenshots of media intended for one-time viewing
It will soon be impossible to take a screenshot or record the screen of a one-time media before it disappears. Prior to this change, there was nothing to stop the recipient from taking screenshots of your photos and videos that were meant to be viewed once, so this is a change in privacy for the better. Read: How to Send Disappearing Media for One Time View on WhatsApp
The feature has no settings interface – it “just works”, whether you like it or not. Unfortunately, blocking screenshots won’t prevent the recipient from resorting to clever tactics to save a copy of the media for a one-time viewing, such as taking a snapshot of the disappearing media using another phone or recording device.
According to WABetaInfo, Single View Lock is available in WhatsApp Beta 22.21.0.71 (build number 405622068 ). Once this feature is rolled out to all users, once-view media privacy will be greatly improved.
WhatsApp recently began rolling out other privacy-focused features, including the ability to control who sees your last visit and online status.
📝 WhatsApp for iOS 22.21.0.71 beta: what’s new?
WhatsApp is releasing a screenshot lock for one-time viewing of images and videos for some beta testers! https://t.co/fXvDQIlSxi pic.twitter.com/tIiR3FpBNs
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) October 4, 2022
The change takes effect November 1, 2022.
According to WhatsApp help, this feature has been in development for a long time. As a result of this change, the WhatsApp web interface and desktop apps will not be able to send or receive photos and videos for one-time viewing starting November 1st.
“Starting November 1, 2022, WhatsApp website and desktop users will no longer be able to send or receive media to view once,” the post reads. “This change is intended to support the rollout of a screen capture lock to view messages once.”
In other words, you will need to use the WhatsApp mobile app for iOS [ App Store link ] and Android to send or receive once-view media from November 1st.
Introduced in August 2021 as WhatsApp’s response to the popularity of ephemeral messages, this feature allows you to send a photo or video that disappears after the recipient opens it on their device.
How to send media for one time viewing via WhatsApp
To submit a photo or video for a one-time view, select an existing photo or video in the photo gallery. On the next screen, tap the “1”on the right side of the title field, and then tap the blue Submit button.
and exited the media viewer. Once they exit the media viewer, the media will no longer be visible in that chat and they won’t be able to view it again. View once photos and videos will not be saved to the recipient’s photo gallery.
They also cannot forward media for one-time viewing or report it to WhatsApp.