WhatsApp introduced view once messages in 2021 as a way to send photos and videos that disappear after being opened once. This feature was designed to increase privacy and security, as the recipient can’t keep or forward the media after viewing it. However, some WhatsApp users have wondered if there are ways to bypass this restriction and save view once messages, such as by taking a screenshot.
Can You Screenshot View Once Messages on WhatsApp?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to take a screenshot of a WhatsApp view once photo or video and save it, even though the app doesn’t allow you to. This is because when you receive and open a view once message, the content is displayed on your device’s screen. Your device operating system allows you to take screenshots, which captures whatever is currently on the screen. So by taking a screenshot, you can effectively save a view once message.
However, there are some important caveats to keep in mind:
- Taking a screenshot of a view once message defeats the purpose of the privacy-enhancing feature. It allows you to retain media that the sender intended to be temporary.
- Other apps cannot access the screenshot or saved media after it’s captured. It remains private to your device only.
- The sender is not notified if you screenshot their view once message.
- Repeatedly screenshotting view once messages may be considered unethical, as it violates the trust of the sender.
Does WhatsApp Prevent Screenshots of View Once Messages?
WhatsApp does not have any built-in protections to prevent screenshots of view once messages. Their approach focuses on deleting the message itself after it is viewed, but does not restrict the recipient’s device screenshot capabilities.
There are a few technical reasons why blocking screenshots is difficult:
- Operating systems such as iOS and Android manage screenshots at the device level, not the app level. So WhatsApp cannot override the screenshot functionality.
- Preventing an entire category of screenshots (like view once messages) requires deep integration with the device OS that may not be feasible.
- Users expect to retain screenshot abilities and may find apps that block screenshots frustrating.
As a result, WhatsApp currently relies on users to voluntarily respect the intent behind view once messages. The company may introduce screenshot protections in the future if feasible, but has not implemented them yet.
Does WhatsApp Notify the Sender if You Screenshot a View Once Message?
No, WhatsApp does not alert the sender if you take a screenshot of their view once message. This differs from normal chat messages, where the app does notify the sender when you screenshot their texts or media.
For view once messages, your screenshot is completely private to your device. The sender has no indication that you captured their photo, video, or message before it disappeared.
There are a few reasons why WhatsApp designed view once screenshot notifications this way:
- It aligns with the ethos of privacy and ephemerality behind view once messaging.
- Adding screenshot notifications could discourage use of the view once feature.
- The sender chose to send temporary media, so notifications could be seen as overreach.
- Screenshot prevention is not technically feasible currently.
However, the lack of notifications means you should only screenshot view once media ethically and consensually. Repeatedly saving others’ private, temporary messages is disrespectful without their knowledge.
Should You Screenshot View Once Messages?
Whether you should screenshot a WhatsApp view once message depends on the context and your relationship with the sender:
- For truly private content, it is best to avoid screenshots and respect the sender’s wishes.
- If the media was sent playfully, occasional screenshots may be harmless among close friends.
- To retain important information, a screenshot could be understandable, but ask the sender first if possible.
- To have lasting possession of intimate images raises consent concerns and is unadvisable.
There are also alternatives if you want to capture the essence of a view once message without screenshotting:
- Quickly describing the content to yourself in text before it disappears.
- Using another camera to take a photo of your screen (still raises ethical issues).
- Asking the sender if they are comfortable with you saving the message (best option).
Ultimately, the viewpoint on screenshots depends a lot on the expectations and relationship between the sender and recipient. WhatsApp designed view once messages to be private and temporary, so retaining them should be an exception done thoughtfully, not the default.
Ethical Concerns Around Screenshotting View Once Messages
While technically possible, taking screenshots of WhatsApp view once messages raises some ethical concerns:
- Respecting consent and intent: The sender shared temporary media assuming it can’t be retained. Override that by screenshotting without permission removes their consent.
- Honesty in relationships: Repeatedly screenshotting someone’s private messages without their knowledge violates relationship goodwill and trust.
- Leveraging sender’s mistakes: People may accidentally send sensitive view once media not meant to be saved. Taking advantage of that feels unethical.
- Objectification: Some may screenshot intimate view once images for improper personal use, which is ethically unacceptable without consent.
These concerns underscore why screenshotting view once messages should be the exception, not the norm. If there is a compelling reason to retain the media, discussing it with the sender first is best practice in most cases.
Is Taking Screenshots of View Once Messages Legal?
In most countries, taking screenshots of WhatsApp view once messages is likely legal in and of itself. However, what you do with the screenshots could raise legal issues.
Points to keep in mind:
- Sharing or distributing private view once media without the sender’s permission may violate laws around revenge porn, harassment, copyright, etc.
- Retaining intimate view once images of someone without their consent could qualify as invasion of privacy in some jurisdictions.
- Blackmailing someone using their screenshotted view once messages as leverage is illegal.
- Screenshotting view once messages alone does not violate WhatsApp or device terms of service in most cases.
As with ethics, ensuring you have the sender’s permission and not misusing the media is crucial to remaining on the right side of the law. Additionally, learning about relevant privacy and social media laws in your location is important.
Techniques People Use to Screenshot View Once Messages
Since WhatsApp does not natively block screenshots, people use various straightforward methods to capture view once messages:
- Device screenshots – Using the built-in screenshot capabilities of Android and iOS devices via buttons or gestures.
- Screen recording – Recording your device’s screen as you view the message, then extracting a still image.
- External cameras – Using a second phone or camera to take a photo of the view once message on your screen.
- Mirroring apps – Apps that can mirror your device screen to a computer, where you can screenshot the view once messages.
- Accessibility features – Enabling operating system accessibility options designed to help those with disabilities take automated screenshots.
Generally, the most straightforward methods are built-in screenshots and screen recordings. However, all these approaches accomplish the same end result – capturing view once media against WhatsApp’s intended ephemeral usage.
Does Screen Recording a View Once Message Allow You to Keep Watching It?
If you screen record a WhatsApp view once video or GIF, you can keep watching the media after the message disappears. This exploits the screenshot workaround.
By screen recording, you essentially capture the entire duration of the video/GIF playing within WhatsApp. When you go back to review the recording, you can pause, rewind, and replay the view once media as much as you want.
The same is true for photos – by recording your screen as you view the image, you can keep that still frame archived. This persists the media through the recording, even if the original disappears.
However, bear in mind the ethical and legal considerations mentioned earlier. Just because screen recording enables you to continually access a view once message does not mean doing so is proper or advised without the sender’s permission.
Third-Party Apps Claiming to Save View Once Messages on Android & iOS
Some third-party apps claim they can help you save or screenshot WhatsApp view once messages on both iOS and Android devices. Examples include:
- SaveItOffline
- WAViewer
- SaveGram
- Story Saver for Instagram
However, most of these apps have exaggerated claims. They cannot bypass or hack into WhatsApp’s encrypted messaging to retrieve view once media.
What many of these apps actually offer is screen recording or screen mirroring functionality. They enable recording your screen as you view the message within WhatsApp itself. This is similar to using built-in screen recording on iOS or Android.
Some apps may advertise specialized recording or screenshot modes for WhatsApp view once media. But in the end, they are just simplifying the manual screen recording process and not actually “hacking” or saving the messages directly within WhatsApp.
Reliable techniques remain using your device’s native screenshot and screen recording capabilities, not third-party apps.
Can You Save a View Once Message on WhatsApp Web/Desktop?
WhatsApp Web and Desktop function similarly to the mobile app in regards to view once messages. There is no built-in way to save or screenshot a view once message on the web and desktop platforms.
However, it is possible to mirror your phone’s screen to WhatsApp Web/Desktop using various third-party tools. Once mirrored, you can screenshot or record the view once message on your computer screen.
Some possible methods include:
- Browser extensions like WA Web Plus for Chrome.
- Mirroring apps like Apowersoft Phone Mirror.
- Cables to connect your phone directly to your computer.
In general, the techniques are the same as on mobile – either screenshotting directly or screen recording as you view the message. The only difference is you are capturing it from your computer display rather than your phone screen.
Does Deleting a View Once Message from Recipient’s Phone Delete Your Screenshot?
No, deleting the WhatsApp view once message from the recipient’s phone after they’ve viewed it does not also delete or undo their screenshot.
Here is what happens:
- You send a view once photo, video, or message.
- The recipient opens it, triggering the view once deletion timer.
- They screenshot or screen record the message before it disappears.
- The message deletes itself from the WhatsApp chat after being opened.
- The screenshot or screen recording remains available in the recipient’s phone storage.
So even though the original media deletes itself, any screenshots taken are independent files stored elsewhere in the recipient’s phone. The base image/video and any captures of it have no direct link that would cause the captures to also deleted.
Can You Recover or Retrieve Deleted View Once Messages?
No, there is no way to retrieve deleted view once messages within WhatsApp itself after they have disappeared. This content is encrypted and deleted from WhatsApp’s servers.
Your only options are:
- If you screenshotted or recorded the message before it deleted, you can recover it from your phone’s storage.
- If you still need the info, you can ask the sender to resend the content again (without view once enabled).
- Trying data recovery tools is unlikely to work, since the content is encrypted.
WhatsApp does not store or backup view once messages since they are meant to be deleted. So unless you manually captured the message beforehand, the content is essentially gone for good after triggering the view once deletion.
Does WhatsApp Have Plans to Block Screenshots for View Once Messages?
WhatsApp has not officially announced plans to block screenshots for view once messages. The platform seems focused for now on enhancing encryption and privacy in other ways.
There are challenges to preventing view once screenshots, such as:
- Operating system support is needed, not just WhatsApp.
- It limits legitimate use cases for screenshots.
- Alternative screenshot methods are hard to prevent.
- It reduces the utility of view once messaging.
However, WhatsApp may explore screenshot prevention functionality in the future. Other apps like Snapchat already flag screenshot attempts on expiring messages. But overcoming the technical hurdles without crippling usability may be difficult.
For now, WhatsApp seems to have designed view once messages around trust in the recipient not to capture them. But the company could evolve its stance if users demand screenshot protections.
Conclusion
Screenshotting WhatsApp view once messages is technically possible due to screen capture capabilities at the device level. While WhatsApp itself doesn’t allow saving view once media, system screenshots provide a workaround.
However, just because you can screenshot view once content does not necessarily mean you should. There are ethical and legal implications around capturing media someone intended to be temporary. Always respect the sender’s expectations and get their permission first before screenshotting when possible.
WhatsApp may implement screenshot blocking for view once messages down the road. But for now, the responsibility lies with users to use the feature thoughtfully. Make sure to only screenshot when appropriate and never misuse that media in any way.