WhatsApp has recently announced the expansion of its View Once messaging feature to include voice messages, following its initial rollout for text, photos, and videos in 2021. Users will now have the capability to send voice messages that disappear after being listened to by the recipient. Like their visual counterparts, these voice messages will be identifiable by a “one-time” icon and can only be played once. This feature is expected to be available to global users in the coming days.
The announcement was made by Meta on Thursday, December 7, through a blog post detailing the new addition. The View Once feature allows users to send voice recordings that vanish after playback, making it particularly useful for sharing sensitive or confidential information, such as credit card details or plans for surprises. Just like View Once photos and videos, these voice messages will also carry the “one-time” icon.
WhatsApp highlights that this feature is part of its ongoing commitment to enhance privacy for its users. The company claims that these disappearing voice messages are protected by end-to-end encryption by default, similar to the already existing self-destructing media types. The rollout of View Once voice messages is slated to take place globally in the near future.
How to send a View Once voice message on WhatsApp
- Open a chat window on WhatsApp.
- Tap and hold the microphone icon in the bottom-right corner of the chatbox.
- Swipe up to lock the recording while continuing to hold the button.
- Tap the stylised View Once icon.
- Tap Send once your message is recorded.
Once the recipient listens to the voice message, it will disappear from the chat, leaving behind a notification indicating that it has been “opened.” If the voice message is not accessed by the recipient within 14 days, it will also be removed from the chat. Additionally, users will be unable to forward, save, star, or share any Voice Once messages.
