WhatsApp Tests View-Once Text Messages for Android Beta Users

WhatsApp is extending its disappearing-message options to text. The company is testing a feature that lets users send a written message that can be opened only once, adding text to the existing View Once options for photos, videos and voice messages.

The feature is reportedly available to some Android users running WhatsApp beta version 2.26.45.6. It has not yet been announced for general release, so availability may vary among beta testers.

How to Send a View-Once Text

To send one of these messages, users type their text in the chat box, then press and hold the send button. They can choose the “View Once” option before sending. The first time they use it, WhatsApp displays an introductory prompt that they must acknowledge.

The message does not appear as ordinary text in the chat. Instead, the recipient taps it to open it in a separate viewing screen. Once they close that screen, the message can no longer be opened again.

If read receipts are enabled, WhatsApp marks the message as opened so the sender can see that the recipient viewed it.

Copying, Forwarding and Screenshots

According to the report, recipients cannot copy, forward or save a View Once text message through WhatsApp. The app also blocks screenshots and screen recordings while the message is open.

Those safeguards can reduce the chance of someone casually saving or sharing the text, but they are not a guarantee of privacy. A recipient could still capture the message using another device, such as a camera pointed at the screen. WhatsApp cannot prevent that.

The feature is therefore best understood as a way to limit access within the app—not as a way to ensure that a message leaves no record.

Scheduling Is Not Supported

The beta feature reportedly does not support scheduled View Once text messages. Whether WhatsApp will add scheduling before a wider rollout remains unknown.

For now, the feature appears to be in limited testing on Android. WhatsApp has not provided a public release date or confirmed when it will reach all users.