Whatsapp is preparing to release a major update for the very popular chat app, but the new feature that will appear soon may be widely controversial.
Rumors have been circulating about this for months, but finally a team at WAbetainfo discovered that WhatsApp is officially testing its app's ability to make photos and videos self-destructive.
This feature, which is very similar to what Snapchat provided years ago, means that the moment you open the image on the recipient's device, it will then disappear in a self-destructive way and destroy itself once closed, as well as the video clip.
And it published screenshots online showing how the new feature works on WhatsApp, explaining that this option allows users to send photos and videos in a more private way.
However, WhatsApp also warns users that although photos and videos can only be viewed once, there is nothing to prevent the recipient from taking a screenshot of anything sent.
In a message displayed on the app, WhatsApp says, "When this setting is on, recipients can only open your photo or video clip that you sent once before it disappears. Keep in mind that they can still take screenshots before it disappears."
This means that anyone considering sending something that might embarrass them in the future should be careful before hitting the send button.
According to "Wapita Info", this self-destructing message feature is still under development, but with it now being pushed to the beta lab, it is expected to be launched soon.