Since Snapchat introduced the notion of "ephemeral data," the world began to realize the benefits of having self-destructive messages.
And rivals also began realizing the business potential for having such feature. Others, like Meta, when it was still known as Facebook, shamelessly took Snapchat's Stories feature, and introduced it to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
It was a bold move, by blatantly claiming Snapchat's feature as its own.
Fast forward, the world is still taking advantage of self-destructing messages for many reasons.
On WhatsApp, the messaging app has what it calls the 'View Once' feature, where users can send recipients photos and messages, and have them automatically deleted once they're viewed.
Seeing how the feature benefits users, WhatsApp just introduced voice messages that automatically delete after being played.
say it once, play it once now you can select “view once” when sending a voice note for an added layer of protection pic.twitter.com/xVWcuBLfI4
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) December 7, 2023
The interface is simple.
Users just need to select the View Once feature and make a voice message.
It's worth noting that recordings must be locked first in order to make the View Once icon appear in the bottom right-hand corner. Tap it once to activate it and a timer will be attached to the message.
After the message is sent, it will self-destruct after the recipient hears it.
If the recipient doesn't open the self-destructing voice message, WhatsApp will automatically delete it after two weeks.
Ephemeral voices messages are like ephemeral text and images, as they cannot be saved, shared, or forwarded.
This effectively enhances privacy, in the case of audio recordings that mention sensitive topics.
The feature is officially introduced after it has been around for at least two months in a beta state.
There are some caveats, and this is also the reason why WhatsApp encourages users to only send View Once voice messages to people they trust.
No technology is foolproof.
For instance, Android users can use the screen record function as they listen and anyone can use another camera or external microphone to capture the message.
After all, all WhatsApp ephemeral messages have that "once-time" icon, and that it's purpose is to let the recipient knows they can only listen to the message once before it’s gone, and that they won’t attempt to play it in a place where they may not be able to hear well.
That icon itself encourages the recipient to be ready, and probably take notes so they can remember the message.