How often is there private information that we share on WhatsApp and we don’t know what happens to it? Will the person receiving it delete the message? Will she show it to someone else? No fear. WhatsApp has introduced a new feature to send self-destructing messages after a period of time that you can decide.

In this article we see how to use this feature and what options are available.

Preliminary note: This WhatsApp feature is still being released and will be gradually available on all devices. To check if you can already send self-destructing messages, you need to update WhatsApp to the latest version available.

Send self-destructing messages on WhatsApp

The procedure for sending these fantastic “timed messages” is really simple.

As the foreign portal Wabetainfo unveiled in preview , it is possible to use self-destructing messages both in group chats and in individual private chats.

Either way, you can decide the self-destruct time yourself. In particular, there are three options:

• never
• after 5 seconds
• after an hour

Obviously this is the time after the message has been read by the recipient.

However, this works a little differently for groups and private chats. Let’s see why.

How to send WhatsApp messages that self-destruct in groups

For groups the procedure is this:

1. open the group where you want to send timed messages
2. go to settings
3. select the “timed messages” option
4. choose the duration before self-destruct (5 minutes or 1 hour)

Et voilà, the messages you send will be deleted after the selected time.

NB At the moment it seems that WhatsApp has limited itself to this possibility for groups, but we are sure that the option to create single messages that also self-destruct within groups will soon arrive.

How to send WhatsApp messages that self-destruct in private conversations

To send a self-destructing message in a single chat, do the following:

1. Open the WhatsApp chat where you want to send the message
2. Write your message and click on the timer icon at the bottom right
3. Select the self-destruct time
4. Send the message

NB This feature is still under development, but the Beta developers have spoiled its release soon, perhaps with some more variations.

Self-destructing messages and message reading verification: what a novelty!

Think about it: before, there were so many ways to read a message without letting the other person know. You can disable the blue ticks or use small “tricks” , as we have described in this article.

And now? With self-destructing WhatsApp messages, everything changes. If one reads the message, sbam! It self-destructs! So you are sure that it has been read.

Will it be like this forever or will a new “trick” be found in this case too? We are studying the case and keep an eye on the next news. We will update you soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions, use the comment box below.