WhatsApp has announced it is rolling out a new feature that might come in handy when users accidentally press delete for me Instead of Delete for everyone on the app. Meta’s new “accidental delete” feature initiates a 5-second window for users to undo their action to delete the message for themselves, and then allows them to delete the message for everyone. The feature is available for both individual and group chats on iPhone and Android phones.
Feature tracker WABetaInfo first reported in August, the messaging service tested the ability to undelete a message with some Android and iOS testers in the beta version of the app. The feature is rolling out to all users now, the company announced via a tweet on Tuesday.
In 2017, the messaging platform introduced the Delete for everyone Option to allow users to retract a message from all participants in a conversation in case they accidentally sent it. Initially, the rollout was limited to just 7 minutes, but was eventually increased to 60 hours in August.
Meanwhile, after adding the disappearance of messages feature in 2020, the instant messaging and voice-over-IP service is now working on an “extreme” version of this option.
The messaging service works on view-only text messages, similar to the view-once feature of sending pictures and videos on Android and iOS. The feature was discovered in version 2.22.25.20 of WhatsApp Beta for Android. Once a user sends such a message, the recipient cannot share or forward the message.
For photos and videos, the single view feature is currently enabled by selecting an image or video to send, then tapping the circled “1” icon on the right side of the caption prompt. With the one-time view text message feature, WABetaInfo says the app could introduce a special icon for the send button with an additional padlock for text messages, adding that the design may change once the feature is out of beta phase comes.
