WhatsApp now lets you delete messages after 2 days, leave groups silently, and adds screenshot blocking
WhatsApp Messenger now allows users to delete messages even after 2 days. The VOIP service announced the news via its social media channels.
Prior to this update, WhatsApp had a pretty strict time limit for deleting messages. You could only do so under 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds. That's a weird limit, isn't it?
WhatsApp now lets you delete messages after 2 days
So, compared to the previous limit, a 2-day window to delete messages seems like a nice upgrade. But, here's the thing. While the tweet from the company mentions that users have a little over 2 days to delete your messages, it doesn't specify the exact time limit. Is it 48-hours since the message was posted? According to TechCrunch, the limit is actually 2 days and 12 hours, i.e. 60 hours.
The only catch is that when you delete a message in a WhatsApp chat, it still leaves behind a "You deleted this message" remnant. That might look a little awkward, especially when done in a group conversation. This is another area where WhatsApp still has to catch up with its biggest rival, Telegram, as it doesn't leave a mark behind after a deleted message. As a matter of fact, Telegram doesn't have a time limit for deleting messages. It even lets you delete messages sent by others.
It's strange that there is still no option to edit messages in WhatsApp, that feature could come in handy for editing typos, adding additional information, URLs, images, captions, etc.
Last Seen Status
WhatsApp will soon start allowing users to choose which of their contacts can view their last seen status, while hiding the information from other users. This can add another layer of privacy.
Image credit: The Verge
Leave WhatsApp groups silently
Have you ever been a part of a group, but eventually stopped chatting there? The thing is, when you try to exit the group, WhatsApp marks it with a status that reads "User left the group." That can be annoying, as it may get you some unwanted attention, and you could receive some messages inquiring why you left the group. That's the last thing you may have wanted.
The Meta-owned messaging service has a way to fix this, it will soon allow users to leave groups silently. The upcoming feature will only notify admins of the group, so other members in the group won't see a message when you exit the conversation quietly.
Screenshot blocking
You may be aware that WhatsApp supports view once messages, which includes media content. People could still save a copy of such messages by taking a screenshot on their mobile phone. This posed a privacy issue for users.
Screenshot blocking is another privacy-related feature that is coming to WhatsApp Messenger. It will prevent users from saving self-destructing messages, i.e. view once messages. Telegram has a similar feature, called Content Protection, which prevents users from copying, saving or forwarding messages. But this restriction is only available for Telegram Channels.
The improvements for last seen status, screenshot blocking, and exiting groups privately will soon be available for users, on mobile and desktop.
What do you think about these new WhatsApp features?
Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.
He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.
Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?
Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?
Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.
The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.
It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.
> The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…
Sadly, I have to agree.
Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.
If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!
We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.
because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…
“Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.
How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.
Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.
Sorry posted on the wrong page.
such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time
I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.
I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S
Quoting the article,
“As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”
Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?
I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.
@John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]
This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.
> Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.
Firefox did this long before Safari.
Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.