WhatsApp has announced a new feature that allows users to keep disappearing messages within a chat thread, with the permission of the message sender. While this may seem to go against the concept of disappearing messages, there may be instances where the message holds significant value to the recipient, and the sender is comfortable with it being kept.
The new feature will allow users to choose the option to keep specific disappearing messages within a chat, instead of having them automatically disappear after a set time. This gives more control to both the sender and the recipient of the messages, providing them with the flexibility to decide whether to keep certain messages for reference or delete them for privacy reasons.
The feature is currently being rolled out to users worldwide, and it is expected to provide an additional layer of convenience for users who often rely on disappearing messages for privacy reasons. It also shows WhatsApp’s efforts to continually improve its messaging platform to meet the evolving needs of its users.
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The user can then choose whether to allow the requested user to keep their message or to permanently delete it. Even though it partly contradicts the idea of disappearing communications, including this as a native feature makes some sense considering that users can still screenshot and photograph conversations.
As explained by WhatsApp: “Today we’re introducing ‘Keep in Chat’, so you can hang on to texts you need for later, with a special superpower for the sender. To make this work, the sender will be notified when someone keeps a message, and the sender will have the ability to veto the decision.
If you’ve decided your message can’t be kept by others, your decision is final, no one else can keep it and the message will be deleted when the timer expires. This way you have the final say on how messages you send are protected.”
Finally, the new feature added to WhatsApp is a step in the direction of strengthening user control and privacy by giving users more choices over what happens to their messages. It will be interesting to observe how users react to this new feature and whether it is broadly embraced. Regardless of the capabilities offered, it’s crucial to always remember to exercise caution while providing personal information on any digital site.
You can read more about WhatsApp’s new ‘Keep in Chat’ option here.
