WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature designed to help users free up valuable storage space on their devices. The popular messaging platform is developing an option that would enable users to set expiration dates for group chats. Details of this upcoming functionality have surfaced in the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iOS, although the company has yet to confirm when it will be officially rolled out.
The feature, referred to as ‘Expiring Groups,’ will allow users to establish a timeframe for their group chats. Participants will have the flexibility to set expiration times ranging from one day, one week, or even a specific custom date, as highlighted in a report by WABetaInfo, a well-known feature tracker.
In shared screenshots from WABetaInfo, the settings section for group chats displays a new option for Expiring Groups, offering users selected expiration choices. A separate option, Remove expiration date, would rescind any previously established expiration settings.
The screenshots indicate that WhatsApp will notify users to clean up the group on the determined expiration date, implying that the deletion process will require user action rather than happening automatically, as seen in disappearing chats. Additionally, it’s been noted that assigning an expiration date to a group will not impact other group members.
Each WhatsApp group can accommodate up to 1,024 members, leading to a rapid accumulation of messages and files that can consume significant storage on users’ devices.
The anticipated ‘Expiring Groups’ feature is expected to be available for both Android and iOS versions of the app, potentially facilitating users’ management of their phone storage by allowing for regular clean-up of group conversations.
Upon reaching the expiration date, users will receive a reminder from WhatsApp to save any essential content from the chats before clearing the conversation, according to the feature tracker.
Currently, this capability is not accessible for beta testers on the latest WhatsApp versions for either iOS or Android. The company has not provided specific timelines for the general availability of the feature.
In addition to ‘Expiring Groups,’ WhatsApp is also reportedly working on features that would allow users to silence unknown callers and subscribe to a WhatsApp newsletter.
