Status updates, disappearing messages in chats, and view-once images or video are just a few of the ways in which you can share ephemeral media. If you don’t want the text to stick around after the recipient has read it, you have to manually remove the text. If you rely on the disappearing messages feature, you will have to wait a whole 24 hours for the message to be auto-delete.
There is evidence pointing to view-once text messaging being in development as a result of the testing done on the app. When you send a view-once message, you will see a green send button with a lock icon. If you want to see the message again, you’d have to ask the sender to send it again. Media should be available for texts so that the usual protections can be used.
The view-once option is a deterrent, but someone desperate enough could still take pictures of your disappearing media and texts with another device, for all you know. Texts should still be useful even if view-once texts aren’t good.
This feature is expected in a future update, but it is not yet clear when it will officially roll out. Texts, images, and videos can only be sent once and recipients can only see them once.
