WhatsApp will soon block users from screenshotting ‘View Once’ videos and photos

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Popular messaging platform WhatsApp is currently testing a new feature on the iOS version of the app that would block users from taking screenshots of photos or videos sent using the ‘View Once’ feature. Spotted on the latest beta version of the app for iOS, the feature blocks both screenshots and screen recordings of ‘View Once’ media sent on the platform. 

Shared by WABetaInfo, this new privacy safeguard is available on WhatsApp beta for iOS version 22.21.0.71 and accordingly, may feature in the final version of the app in the future. With the safeguard in place, users that try to take a screenshot or a screen recording of a ‘View Once’ media will be greeted with an error message saying that the action is “blocked for added privacy”.

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In case you’re not familiar, the ‘View Once’ feature on WhatsApp is similar to Snapchat and Instagram’s disappearing messages which allows users to only view a video or photo once before it is no longer available. As for the new screenshot blocking feature, it will show the aforementioned error message instead of the content being shared on the screenshot, which is a nice touch.

As of right now, it is not known when this feature will make its way to the final version of WhatsApp, if at all. However, given how it enhances the privacy of users, we’re sure WhatsApp will be implementing the feature widely in the near future.

As of right now, it is not known when this feature will make its way to the final version of WhatsApp, if at all. However, given how it enhances the privacy of users, we’re sure WhatsApp will be implementing the feature widely in the near future.