WhatsApp has been offering self-destructing messages since late 2020. They let chats automatically disappear into data nirvana after a previously set period of time. So far, you’ve only had a handful of choices, but that’s about to change. Apparently the developers are working on an extended delete function. Rumor has it that 15 new time intervals are in the starting blocks. Which?
WhatsApp Messenger (Android-App)
WhatsApp Messenger (App for iPhone and iPad)
WhatsApp Desktop (Windows-App)
Update for self-deleting messages
WhatsApp users currently have the following three time periods to choose from, after which messages are automatically deleted: 24 hours, seven days or 90 days (as of March 29, 2023). Apparently that’s not enough, because the messenger service is probably working on other options – this is revealed by the WABetaInfo website. The chat messages then disappear after something like:
- one hour
- three hours
- six hours
- twelve hours
- two days
- three days
- four days
- five days
- six days
- two weeks
- three weeks
- one month
- two months
- five months
- a year
The new time periods give users more control over sent messages. Above all, the shorter dwell times are useful for messages with sensitive or confidential information. The new options will be seen in a future update of the desktop app, as well as for iOS and Android.
