WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, allowing users to easily communicate with friends, family and coworkers. One handy WhatsApp feature is the ability to send photos and videos that disappear after being viewed once by the recipient. Here’s what to know about sending one time media on WhatsApp.
How Does One Time Media Work on WhatsApp?
When you send a photo or video as “view once” media on WhatsApp, the recipient can open it and view it one time only. Once they close the media or leave the chat screen, the media will be deleted and is no longer accessible.
This allows you to share moments that you don’t necessarily want saved or screenshotted. It’s perfect for silly selfies, personal photos or videos you want to share in the moment without having them stored indefinitely.
You can tell if media you received is view once because it will be marked with a 1 icon. When you open view once media, a message appears indicating the media will be deleted after being viewed.
Enabling View Once Media on WhatsApp
Sending view once photos or videos is easy if the feature is enabled for your account. Here’s how to turn it on:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings
- Tap Account > Privacy
- Enable “View Once” media
That’s it! Now when you send photos or videos in chats, you’ll have the option to set them as view once.
Sending One Time Photos
Once you have view once media enabled, sending disappearing photos is simple:
- Open a WhatsApp chat
- Tap the attach button and select Photo
- Choose a photo to send from your library or take one directly in WhatsApp
- Before sending, tap the 1 icon to enable view once
- The photo will show the view once icon and send as temporary media
The process is the same for videos – just select Video instead of Photo in step 2. The recipient will be able to open the media once before it disappears from the chat.
Things to Keep in Mind
While view once photos and videos can be fun and useful, there are some important things to be aware of:
- Recipients can take screenshots or screen recordings of view once media before it disappears. There is no way to prevent this.
- Previews of view once photos may still be visible in notifications until the chat is opened.
- If auto-download is enabled, view once media may get saved to the recipient’s device before opening.
- Like all WhatsApp media, view once content is not encrypted end-to-end by default.
So while this feature does delete media after it’s viewed, recipients can still find ways to save your view once photos and videos if they want to. Keep this in mind before sending anything too private!
Troubleshooting View Once Media
If you’re having trouble with the view once feature, here are some things to try:
- Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed
- Confirm view once media is enabled in your WhatsApp privacy settings
- Check your internet connection and restart WhatsApp if needed
- The recipient may have taken a screenshot or saved the media before viewing. Media does get deleted from WhatsApp once opened.
- If issues persist, try uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send view once media in WhatsApp groups?
Unfortunately view once photos and videos can only be sent in individual chats, not groups.
Do WhatsApp alerts show view once media?
Notification previews may show the content briefly but will disappear after opening WhatsApp. Any auto-download settings can impact this.
Can I send view once photos on iPhone?
Yes, the view once feature works on both iPhones and Android phones as long as you have the latest WhatsApp update.
Can I save or download view once media?
There is no built-in way to save view once photos or videos in WhatsApp. However, recipients can screenshot or screen record the media before it disappears if they want to keep it.
How long does the viewer have to open view once media?
There is no time limit, but the media will automatically delete itself from WhatsApp once the recipient opens it one time.
Conclusion
View once media can be a fun way to share temporary photos and videos on WhatsApp that disappear after being seen. Just keep in mind that recipients can still screenshot or record view once media before it deletes. Enable the feature in your WhatsApp privacy settings, and start sending disappearing photos and videos today!
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lets you share fun, personal moments without worrying about them being saved | Recipients can still screenshot or screen record media before it deletes |
| Great for silly selfies, reaction videos, memes, etc. | Previews may appear in notifications briefly |
| Simple to enable and use in WhatsApp | Can’t send in groups, only individual chats |
| Media automatically deletes after being viewed once | Not encrypted by default like other WhatsApp media |
| Works on both iPhones and Android phones | Requires the latest WhatsApp version |