WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature gives more privacy and control over your chat history. This can be advantageous if you want to add more privacy and clean up your chat history after a set time. Users who want to manage their digital footprint or just simplify their chat history will appreciate this feature. It is an important feature for all WhatsApp users to understand.
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What Are Disappearing Messages on WhatsApp?
Disappearing messages are a privacy feature that automatically delete messages from your chat after a specified time. When you enable the feature, new messages will disappear from both your device and the recipient’s device after the timer expires. Disappearing messages only affect new messages sent after you enabled this feature, not any messages or conversations prior to enabling the feature.
Further, it is essential to note that WhatsApp has no control over how it formats time and instead simply mirrors your phone’s system time format. In other words, if your phone uses a particular time format, then it will also be the same in WhatsApp.
WhatsApp. Therefore, to convert WhatsApp to a 12-hour format, you will have to change this in your phone’s system settings rather than going through WhatsApp.
This feature provides three timeframes to delete messages:
- 24 hours
- 7 days
- 90 days
You can also save important messages, even if disappearing messages is turned on, so you have control over what you want to keep.
Setting Up Default Disappearing Messages
To ensure that all your new chats automatically use disappearing messages, you can enable the setting as the default option. This way every new individual chat will start with the message timer for disappearing messages already started.
Steps to Enable Default Disappearing Messages
Step #1: Open WhatsApp and tap on the Settings option (usually found in the bottom right hand corner of your screen)
Step #2: Select Privacy to view your privacy options
Step #3: Scroll down and tap “Default message timer”
Step #4: Select the time duration you’d like to set as the timer (the options are):
- 24 hours
- 7 days
- 90 days
- Off (to not use the option)
Step #5: Once you pick your preferred time selection, save your settings!
Once you’ve chosen how long you prefer, you will also have the option to apply this to your existing chats. If you want your existing chats to use disappearing messages, select the chats you want to apply it to. Otherwise, just apply to new and moving forward, the previous chats will not have the disappearing messages.
Turning On Disappearing Messages for Individual Chats
If you want disappearing messages in one chat but not in another, you can easily do that too. This feature gives you extra privacy and flexibility, allowing you to have some chats private and others permanent.
How to Enable Disappearing Messages in a Single Chat
To enable disappearing messages in a chat, go to that specific chat. Tap on the name of that conversationโs contact at the top of the screen (for individual chat), or tap on the name of the group for multiple chat participants.
You will see “Disappearing messages” in the menu that opens. Tap this option, and if prompted, tap on “Continue.” You will then see the same three time options of 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. Choose the duration you prefer, and apply the changes.
Managing Disappearing Messages in Group Chats
Group chats work similarly to individual chats; however, it should be noted that any member of the group can turn on or off disappearing messages, because anybody can change the feature, the status of the option might change โ communication about the status may be a good idea for important group chats.
How to Turn Off Disappearing Messages
At times, you may want to turn off disappearing messages, either entirely or just for certain chats. It is easy to do, and you can do it at any time.
Disabling the Default Setting
To stop disappearing messages from being your default setting, go back to Settings, then Privacy, and tap on “Default message timer.” Then just select “Off” as an option. This will only affect all new chats you start after you make this change.
Turning Off Disappearing Messages in Specific Chats
To turn off disappearing messages for chats, you need to open a chat with an individual person or a group, and tap on the person’s name or group name from the conversation. Then you’ll need to find “Disappearing messages” in the menu and tap it. If prompted, tap “Continue,” and then tap “Off.” This will affect only that particular chat.
Final Words
Disappearing messages in WhatsApp help you keep your conversations clean and private. You can use these settings for all of your new chats or just turn on the function for specific conversations. Either way, you get to choose how long your messages can be viewed. Give these settings a go and see what works for you and your privacy!
For more related features or any updates on WhatsApp, check out WhatsApp to Add New Preset Chat List for Draft Messages so you can stay up to date on the happenings within WhatsApp.
