Messenger service
WhatsApp expands the use of self-erasing chats
In the future, WhatsApp users should also be able to chat with one another with self-deleting messages. Photo: Fabian Sommer / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In the future, it should be easier for WhatsApp users to communicate with self-erasing messages. Users should be able to choose between different options.
WhatsApp makes it easier for its users to chat with messages that disappear on their own. In the future, it will be possible to activate this setting by default for all chats, as announced by WhatsApp.
You can also choose between two additional periods for automatic deletion: the only option of 7 days to date is supplemented by 24 hours and 90 days.
The chat service belonging to the Facebook group Meta was involved in a month-long data protection controversy last year. In January WhatsApp asked users to agree to new usage rules within a few weeks.
Data protectionists and activists criticized that the update opens the door to greater sharing of user data with the rest of the Facebook group. WhatsApp always rejected this, but made concessions after the criticism. So you can continue to use the service without agreeing to the new rules. WhatsApp also promised further data protection functions during the controversy.
Simplified use
WhatsApp introduced the self-erasing messages last year. Until now, however, you had to select the setting for each individual chat. The new general counter responded to requests from users, said WhatsApp manager Zafir Khan. Messages that were written before the delete setting was activated do not disappear.
In groups, the expiry date is initially based on the setting of the user who set it up – but it can also be changed. You can also deactivate the default deletion for individual chats – for example, if you want to keep photos from them as a permanent memory. The delete setting also applies to backups and for all chat participants, even if smartphones are offline, emphasized Khan.