WhatsApp is testing a new feature on iPhone where messages automatically disappear once you read them. The privacy-focused feature, called “After reading,” also gives users fine-tuned control over how long their texts remain visible after someone opens them.
The new feature builds upon WhatsApp’s existing disappearing messages functionality. Currently, users can choose to automatically delete sent messages after one day, seven days or 90 days.
WhatsApp is giving disappearing messages smarter timers
Assuming it launches, the feature would bring the Meta-owned app closer to the ephemeral communication model pioneered by Snapchat and refined by competitors like Signal and Telegram. Users want more control over how long information survives in an age where screenshots, leaks and AI-powered archiving can make even casual chats feel permanent, let alone something sensitive.
Previously, WhatsApp’s auto-delete timer started when the message was sent, not when you opened it. But the newly spotted “After reading” option lets you fix that.
WABetaInfo, which tracks unreleased WhatsApp features, discovered the new feature in the latest beta version of the app. If senders choose to enable it, they can decide if messages will be visible for five minutes, one hour or 12 hours after they are read.
Once the timer expires, WhatsApp will automatically delete the messages from both sides of the chat. But, like before, if the other receiver does not open the message at all, it will still disappear after 24 hours.
The new WhatsApp disappearing messages option might work on a per-chat basis and is completely optional. That means you could use it for selective chats, like work conversations, without affecting the rest.
On the iPhone, the new WhatsApp feature fills a gap Apple still hasn’t addressed on iMessage. Apple lets users unsend messages, but it currently lacks the advanced features WhatsApp has had for years.
WhatsApp’s new feature is also useful for users who wonder if someone other than the recipient may have seen their disappearing messages.
The new option is live for select WhatsApp beta testers on TestFlight, with a broader rollout expected in the coming weeks. Most of us will probably need to wait for a while before we get this type of granular control over our texts.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
