WhatsApp Update: WhatsApp Rolls Out Disappearing Voice Notes Feature

In a bid to bolster user privacy, WhatsApp has unveiled a new feature called "View Once" for voice messages. This feature allows users to send voice messages that automatically disappear once they have been played. WhatsApp shared the announcement in a blog post, drawing parallels with the View Once feature previously introduced for photos and videos in 2021.

The disappearing voice notes feature serves as an additional privacy layer for messages, alleviating concerns about the forwarding of voice notes to unintended recipients. Users can activate this feature, providing a worry-free environment for sending voice messages.

WhatsApp highlighted various scenarios where the disappearing voice message feature might be useful, such as sharing sensitive information with a friend or planning a surprise without the risk of others overhearing the message.

"For reading out your credit card details to a friend, or when you’re planning a surprise, you can now also share sensitive information over voice message with added peace of mind. For consistency with View Once photos and videos, View Once voice messages are clearly marked with the “one-time” icon and can only be played one time," WhatsApp noted.

To send a disappearing voice message, users can record their message as usual and then tap the new one-time icon before sending it. Once received, the recipient can listen to the message only once, after which it will vanish from their chat history.

As with all personal messages on WhatsApp, disappearing voice messages benefit from default end-to-end encryption. This ensures that only the sender and the intended recipient have access to the message, with WhatsApp unable to access its content.

WhatsApp has stated that the global rollout of the View Once feature for voice messages will take place over the coming days. Users can find more details on how the feature works by visiting the WhatsApp Help Center.