WhatsApp is testing a feature that feels like something out of a spy thriller — messages that automatically delete themselves once the person you’ve sent them to has read them.
If you’ve ever wished you could send something knowing it would disappear the moment it was seen, this one’s for you.
What’s the new feature?
The latest WhatsApp beta includes a new setting for disappearing messages that lets users set them to vanish after the recipient reads them, rather than after a set time period. With the new “After reading” option, WhatsApp is bringing a new layer of privacy to disappearing messages — and users who choose this option can also configure a timer for how long after reading the message stays visible, with options of 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 12 hours.
So you could, for example, send a message that hangs around for five minutes after being read — giving the recipient time to absorb it — before disappearing for good.
If a message goes unread, it will disappear after 24 hours by default regardless. So nothing lingers indefinitely.
How is this different from WhatsApp’s existing disappearing messages?
WhatsApp already has disappearing messages — but the current options work on a time-based system of 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days from when the message is sent. The new “After reading” option is triggered by the recipient actually opening the message rather than a countdown starting from the moment you hit send. It’s a meaningful difference, especially for anything time-sensitive or private.
When is it coming?
The feature is currently available to some beta testers, though a limited number of users may also be able to test it even through the standard App Store version. It’s also available in WhatsApp’s Android beta, suggesting a broader release may not be too far away.
No official launch date has been announced, but given it’s already showing up in beta builds on both iOS and Android, it feels close.
Why does this matter?
WhatsApp is by far the most-used messaging app in the UK, with over 30 million users. Privacy features like this have been growing in demand — particularly as people become more conscious of their digital footprint and the permanence of things sent in messages. The “burn after reading” concept has existed in apps like Snapchat for years, but bringing it to WhatsApp puts it in front of an enormous mainstream audience who wouldn’t otherwise seek it out.
It also pairs nicely with Apple’s recent privacy push — if you haven’t seen what’s coming in iOS 27, our piece on Generated Subtitles and the iPhone’s new video features s worth a read.