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WhatsApp Gives You More Control Over Disappearing Messages

More durations and a default disappearing option are here

By Joshua Hawkins Joshua Hawkins Freelance Technology Reporter Full Sail University Josh Hawkins is a freelance writer for Lifewire who loves writing about the latest tech and gadgets that help make people’s lives easier. As an avid gamer and VR enthusiast, he also enjoys diving deep into the technology that helps bring those kinds of experiences to life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on December 6, 2021 12:07PM EST Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Software & Apps Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming WhatsApp has added new options to its disappearing messages feature, including new duration settings and a way to set it up by default for new chats. WhatsApp announced the new disappearing messages additions on Monday. It initially released disappearing messages in 2020, with a later update that made photos and videos immediately vanish after one viewing. Now, though, the instant messenger says it wants to give you more control of how and when your messages poof. Jamie Street / Unsplash Previously, users could only make messages disappear after seven days. You also had to manually turn it on for every single chat. Now, though, WhatsApp is adding two new durations and the option to turn it on for new chats by default. The new durations will make your messages disappear as soon as 24 hours after sending or as long as 90 days after. The seven-day option still remains, too. You can now turn on disappearing messages as the default option for chats as well. When set, a message will display in your chats to let people know this is the default option you've chosen, which should remove any confusion when messages vanish after a certain amount of time. If you need the messages in a conversation to stay permanent, though, WhatsApp says you can always disable disappearing messages for that specific conversation. WhatsApp Many people rely on instant messengers to keep up with family and friends now. As such, WhatsApp says disappearing messages and end-to-end encryption are crucial to giving you full access to the conversations you might typically have in person, all without worrying about your privacy. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use WhatsApp Disappearing Messages How to Know If You've Been Blocked on WhatsApp How to Use WhatsApp Privacy Settings How to Use Vanish Mode on Instagram How to Use Google Chat WhatsApp Encryption: What It Is and How to Use It How to Make WhatsApp Calls on a PC or Mac How to Message on Tinder How to Recover Deleted Messages on Facebook Messenger How to Tell When Someone Reads Your Text Message Best Free Internet Phone Calls Apps (October 2022) How to Find Your Facebook Messenger History How to Open a Snapchat Without It Saying 'Opened' How to DM on Instagram 10 Best Free Email Accounts for 2022 How to Fix It When Facebook Messenger Won’t Load Messages Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies