WhatsApp could soon add a feature that auto-deletes messages within 15 minutes: here’s how it works

WhatsApp is working on a major privacy upgrade for its disappearing messages feature, which could allow users to automatically delete a new message shortly after they have read it. The new feature, called “After reading”, was spotted by WABetaInfo in the latest beta build of the app and could be coming to the Meta-owned personal messaging app soon.

What is the new ‘After reading’ timer?

WhatsApp currently allows users to turn on disappearing message timers of 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days, which means that any messages sent to the recipient will disappear within that time frame. While that time frame is useful for most people, it may not be ideal for sharing sensitive information like a one-time password (OTP), a verification code or other such confidential information.

In order to solve that problem, WhatsApp is reportedly working on the “After reading” option, which will set a stricter timer to ensure that the message vanishes almost immediately after it has been seen by the recipient to ensure that it does not fall into the wrong hands.

Notably, WhatsApp already comes with a View Once option, which serves a similar purpose by allowing users to share a media file or a voice note for one-time viewing only, but the new feature would end up bringing that functionality to messages as well.

How will the new disappearing timer work?

The feature will reportedly introduce a strict 15-minute countdown. The message will disappear after 15 minutes from both the sender and receiver’s chat. However, if it’s left unread, the message will continue to be in the chat for 24 hours, after which it will automatically expire and vanish.

Interestingly, the WABetaInfo report notes that this feature will work seamlessly even if users have their read receipts (blue ticks) turned off. The system will still track when the message is opened to trigger the 15-minute self-destruct countdown on the recipient’s phone, preserving the sender’s privacy regardless of the recipient’s read receipt settings.

Users will reportedly have the flexibility to turn on the feature on either a per-chat basis or across all conversations.

When will the feature be available on WhatsApp?

The “After reading” feature was spotted by WABetaInfo in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.12.2 update. However, it is currently under active development and is not yet available to beta testers. WhatsApp is reportedly refining how the new timer is applied to ensure it works reliably and could be said to be rolling out with a future update of the app.