WhatsApp is testing a new disappearing messages setting that starts a countdown timer only after a recipient has read a message, rather than from the moment it is sent.
The feature was flagged by WABetaInfo in the latest WhatsApp TestFlight beta for iOS, with the same option also appearing for some Android beta testers, and the tracker notes that some users on the current public App Store version may already have access to it.
The new setting sits within the existing Default Message Timer menu and offers countdown durations of five minutes, one hour, and 12 hours, all of which begin ticking only when the recipient opens and reads the message in question.
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That distinction separates it meaningfully from WhatsApp’s existing disappearing messages behaviour, where the timer starts at the point of sending, regardless of whether the recipient has seen the message, which can cause content to vanish before it has even been opened.
The read-triggered approach aligns more closely with how similar features work in other privacy-focused messaging apps, and it gives senders greater confidence that a message will actually be seen before it disappears from a conversation thread.
WhatsApp already allows disappearing messages to be set as the default behaviour across all new chats on the platform, and the new After Reading option extends that system with a trigger that is more directly tied to how conversations actually unfold between users.
The update continues a pattern of incremental privacy additions WhatsApp has introduced in recent years, including end-to-end encrypted backups, chat lock, and the ability to silence unknown callers, reflecting sustained pressure on major messaging platforms to give users more direct control over their data.
The feature is currently limited to beta participants, and WhatsApp has not confirmed a wider rollout date or whether the Default Message Timer menu will be renamed to reflect the expanded range of timer options now available within it.
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