WhatsApp Chats Disappearing Automatically? What is The New Update?

WhatsApp is expanding its disappearing messages option, allowing users to configure texts in a chat to be automatically removed after a certain time has passed. According to WhatsApp, users can now turn on disappearing messages for all-new one-on-one chats, ensuring that any future messages are instantly wiped from the service.

The messaging service, which Meta owns, also claims to be providing customers greater choices for how long messages would be kept before being destroyed. Users could only choose to have messages disappear after seven days when the service was launched in November 2020.

However, you will be able to delete them after just 24 hours or 90 days in the future.

What’s the Change?

You had to enable disappearing messages every time you began a new chat before the current upgrade. You may now select it for any discussion you join, which will spare you some time if you’re constantly starting new conversations.

Suppose any chatting user has opted for the option. In that case, the communications will be deleted after 24 hours, seven days, or 90 days for both parties. This makes logical because the functionality wouldn’t provide much privacy advantage if one chat member could keep the communications past the specified time frame.

When Will the New Update Act?

Enabling disappearing messages by default will not disrupt existing chats, according to WhatsApp. When you begin a chat, you’ll notice that the disappearing messages feature is enabled, along with a remark saying it’s enabled by default (so your connections don’t take it personally). You can also disable the setting for specific chats.

How to Enable This New Feature?

After you’ve updated WhatsApp to the current version, go to:

Settings > Account > Privacy > Default Message Timer.

Choose from “24 Hours,” “7 Days,” or “90 Days” as your timeframe. All new messages will disappear after the timer has expired (for both parties). Existing messages will not be affected by this option.

Special Considerations

Disappearing Messages is a nice security feature, but it is not private. The messages you send and receive will still be accessible throughout those 24 hours. Someone can snap a screenshot or forward the communication during that window.

You should use the View Once option to send sensitive photographs. Also, this feature is only available for one-on-one conversations. WhatsApp will prompt you to activate the functionality for a specific group when you create it.

How to Make Your WhatsApp Messages Disappear by Default

Turning on default disappearing messages on WhatsApp appears to be a simple process, whether on an iPhone or Android. After you open the app and click to Settings (found at the bottom right corner of the screen), tap Account, then Privacy, and finally Default message timer, according to WhatsApp’s support page about vanishing messages.

You can then turn on disappearing messages and choose how long you want to wait for them to fade. WhatsApp warns that you should only send disappearing messages to people you trust.

Although the program makes your messages disappear after a certain length of time, it’s possible that the person with whom you’re conversing can forward, copy, save, or screenshot the message before it vanishes.

How to Turn Disappearing Messages On or Off in a Group

Any group member can activate vanishing messages in a group chat. On the other hand, a group admin can adjust the group settings such that only admins can activate disappearing messages. Go to the WhatsApp group chat and join it. Tap the name of the group. Disappearing messages can be accessed by tapping on them. Tap CONTINUE if requested. Choose from 24 hours, seven days, and 90 days. When establishing a new group chat, you can also activate vanishing messages.

Unless a group admin has restricted this function to admins only, anyone in a group chat can stop disappearing messages at any time. Go to the WhatsApp group chat and join it. Tap the name of the group. Disappearing messages can be accessed by tapping on them. Tap CONTINUE if allowed. Off is the default setting.

How to Back up the Disappearing Messages on WhatsApp?

If your WhatsApp messages disappear from your device, you should consider backing up your data. You may quickly restore an old backup to your phone and recover your lost WhatsApp messages this way. You may do this with MobileTrans – WhatsApp Transfer, which offers a one-click option for backing up all of your WhatsApp data.

Using this desktop application, you can preserve your WhatsApp conversations, attachments, group information, voice notes, and more. You can back up WhatsApp communications with a single click because the software is so simple to use.

The application will not modify your data and will save separate backup versions. You can even use the app to recover your message to whatever device you want later if you like (zero compatibility issues).

I’m sure you’ve learned everything there is to know about WhatsApp disappearing messages by now. I’ve also included a step-by-step guide for turning on or off WhatsApp’s vanishing messages function.

If you accidentally deleted WhatsApp messages on your Android/iPhone, try a solution like MobileTrans – WhatsApp Transfer. It will assist you in backing up your WhatsApp data and restoring your chats to any device of your choosing without difficulty.