WhatsApp Desktop to drop this big feature, may annoy you; Read this once

Meta’s instant messaging platform WhatsApp to drop the View Once message feature for Desktop features.

WhatsApp Desktop users will no longer access the ‘View Once’ message feature. (AFP)

Meta-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp is planning to drop an important feature from the Desktop version. The “view once” message feature will no longer be available to desktop users which means, view once messages can be opened on phone only. Users will not be able to open it on desktop as the feature is not supported on desktop apps anymore. As of now, it has been rolled out for beta testers only while the non-beta users can still access disappearing messages on the desktop app. But we assume that it can be assumed that the feature will be rolled out to a wider audience soon. As reported by WABetaInfo, this change is being brought by the app in accordance with the extra layer of security that WhatsApp introduced for View Once messages a few days back.

WhatsApp released a new feature screenshot blocking for view once messages on WhatsApp for Android and iOS and they cannot be saved by taking a screenshot or a video recording. And now, the Wabetainfo report said, “You cannot open a view once message anymore since this feature is no longer supported on all desktop apps for added privacy: this includes WhatsApp Web/Desktop (Electron version), WhatsApp for Windows (Universal Windows Platform version), and WhatsApp beta for macOS (native Catalyst app).” It further added that the changes are needed otherwise users would have opened the view once the message on Desktop in order to take a screenshot. Do note that, WhatsApp is currently removing the ability to send an open view once messages on Desktop for beta users primarily. The changes will also be rolled out to all WhatsApp accounts very soon.

Meanwhile, the app has introduced a new privacy feature that will let users choose who can see their online active status as well as restrict others from viewing their online active status. The new hide online status feature is currently available for Android beta users, reported WhatsApp development tracker WabetaInfo.