WhatsApp’s “View Once” feature has worked for photos, videos, and voice messages for years. The text-based version of that same idea was the obvious next step and it’s now spotted in development for iPhone. The feature was discovered in WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.24.10.16, according to WABetaInfo, extending disappearing-message functionality to written text for the first time.
The mechanics are straightforward. Type a message normally, long-press the Send button, select the new “Send as view once” option, and the recipient gets exactly one viewing before the message becomes permanently inaccessible. WhatsApp plans to apply the same protections already used for view-once media recipients won’t be able to copy, forward, save, screenshot, or screen-record the message. None of these protections stop someone from photographing the screen with a second device, but they close off the easiest methods of preserving content.
The feature works in both individual chats and group conversations, but won’t be available in WhatsApp Channels, where content is meant for broader distribution rather than private one-time communication.
This solves a real workaround problem. Until now, anyone wanting a temporary text message had to type it onto an image and send that as a view-once photo clunky and unnecessary. A native solution makes sharing one-time passwords, sensitive details, and confidential information genuinely simpler.
No release date has been announced. The feature still hasn’t reached TestFlight beta users, with Android development reportedly happening in parallel.
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