WhatsApp finally rolls out new View Once feature, immediately buried by Telegram

Whatsapp Message Hero
Whatsapp Message Hero (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

What you need to know

  • WhatsApp has finally rolled out its View Once feature to all users.
  • It will let people send photos and videos that can only be viewed once before they disappear, just like Snapchat.
  • Rival Telegram was not impressed when someone suggested they should have a similar feature...

WhatsApp has finally rolled out its new View Once feature to all users after a period of testing, the company has announced.

Overnight WhatsApp confirmed the news stating:

New feature alert!You can now send photos and videos that disappear after they've been opened via View Once on WhatsApp, giving you more control over your chats privacy!

See more

The feature, as you might expect, lets people send photos and videos via WhatsApp that can only be viewed once before they disappear forever, just like Snapchat.

Rival messaging app Telegram couldn't resist the opportunity for a dig when one comment tagged them in the announcement stating they should consider a similar feature:

See more

Telegram simply replied, "We did, in 2017."

WhatsApp has confirmed it has other big plans for the app, including multiple device support and support for Apple's iPad. From previous reports:

Arguably the biggest announcement was support for multiple devices, Zuckerberg said it was a big challenge but was on the way, and that WhatsApp planned to roll out multiple device support in a public beta within two months.From questions, the pair confirmed that multiple devices will support up to four linked devices. They also said they are planning to expand the iOS WhatsApp beta, and most excitingly of all, they confirmed multiple device support would pave the way for WhatsApp on iPad. It would also mean better synchronization with WhatsApp on Mac, which is one of the best messaging apps for Mac currently available.

View Once is now available to WhatsApp users on iOS, but you might need to update your app first!

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9