WhatsApp will follow what other messaging services like Telegram already have, the message disappearing feature. This feature has been released by the Facebook-owned messaging service on its Android Beta version number 2.19.348.
WhatsApp has changed the nomenclature of this feature on its app to ‘Delete Messages’ instead of ‘Disappearing messages’. To start with, this feature will be available only on group chats and the feature can be controlled by the user. This means you have to option not to opt for such deletion of messages. Alternately, you can choose the time duration ranging from 1 hour, 1 day, 1 month to 1 year. This way you control how long the messages stay on your device. If you have chosen 1 hour in the feature, any message delivered in that group chat box will vanish after one hour.
Users must understand that this feature is quite different from the ‘message deleted’ feature you already have on the app. In that you have the option of ‘delete for everyone’. The moment you choose this option a notification appears on the devices of all group members that ‘this message has been deleted’. In this latest ‘Delete Messages’ there will be no such notification or warning. The messages will automatically stand removed.
The update is not universal. Users with Google Play beta programme can download the latest version. For a universal inclusion of the feature you will have to wait since WhatsApp appears to be still working on it.
The other feature that WhatsApp is working on is the Dark Mode feature. The rollout of this feature, it is reported will be first on the iOS devices, those running on the iOS 13. iPhone users are also apparently enjoying more features on their devices like call waiting support, chat screen redesign etc.