WhatsApp testing 24-hour timer for disappearing messages

WhatsApp currently supports only one duration of 7 days for messages to disappear from chats.

All users need to do is send a ‘Hi’ to CDMA on Telangana’s official WhatsApp account. (REUTERS)

WhatsApp launched disappearing messages back in November last year. As the name suggests, this feature automatically deletes messages in chats. WhatsApp currently sets a timer for seven days for disappearing messages but it may soon add support for 24 hours.

According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing the ability to set messages to disappear after 24 hours. This feature is currently under development but there's no word on when it will be released for all users. When WhatsApp launched disappearing messages, it said that the 7-day duration was so that users don't lose important messages. But it looks like WhatsApp will be adding another timer option for this feature.

To avoid misinformation, WhatsApp already supports disappearing messages since a few months: check out Contact/Group Info. If you enable this feature, messages disappear after 7 days.
WhatsApp is currently testing a different expiration now and this test is under development. https://t.co/sIxCPoYXEu

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 6, 2021

WhatsApp's disappearing messages feature can be enabled for group chats and one-on-one conversations as well. This feature is turned off by default, and it can be turned on through the contact/group info. In group chats, only admins have control over disappearing messages but in other chats both parties can turn it on/off whenever.

Similar to how the delete messages feature works, this one too will have the disclaimer that messages have disappeared from the chat. There are some things to note about this feature though. Even though the messages disappear after seven days, it will still be visible in the notifications preview if the chat hasn't been opened yet. Quoted messages will also remain in the chat even after they've disappeared. This applies to forwarded messages as well where the text will still be visible even if it has disappeared from the original text.