WhatsApp has finally introduced its new feature that enables blocking screenshots and screen recordings of “View Once” messages in the latest Android Beta update.
“Thanks to screenshot blocking, users will no longer be possible to take a screenshot to view once images and videos. Finally, WhatsApp is finally releasing this protection to prevent people from taking a screenshot, or a screen recording, to view once messages and it is available for some users that install the latest beta from TestFlight!” WABetaInfo said in a post on Tuesday.
The feature was first announced by WhatsApp’s parent company Meta in August, along with other privacy features for the app — leaving groups silently and choosing who can see you online.
A statement from CEO Mark Zuckerberg read, “‘View once’ is already an incredibly popular way to share photos or media that don’t need to have a permanent digital record. Now WhatsApp is enabling screenshot blocking for ‘view once’ messages for an added layer of protection.”
Additionally, some WhatsApp Business beta for iOS users will receive the same capability from WhatsApp as well. When this feature is enabled for a “View Once” media:
Screen capture for later viewing of photos and videos is also by default disabled.
Since this feature is only available for “View Once” images or videos, you can still capture a screenshot of a chat window.
The attempt to take a screenshot is always blocked but it is not notified.
While “View Once” photographs and videos cannot be exported or saved, the recipient can still take a photo with a second phone, so use caution when sending it.WABetaInfo also added that this feature has been released to some beta testers that use an updated beta build from TestFlight, and it will be rolled to more users over the coming weeks.
