• Messages can disappear immediately after being read
• Users get more precise control over message visibility

A new WhatsApp feature will allow messages to automatically disappear once the recipient has read them. Users will also have more precise control over how long their messages remain visible.

Currently, WhatsApp is testing the feature in the Android 2.25.24.18 beta, allowing users to set short timers for messages to vanish between one and twelve hours. This responds to user demand for sensitive messages—such as work updates or temporary passwords—to disappear quickly.

At present, WhatsApp lets users choose for messages to disappear when a timer expires, with options ranging from 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.

The upcoming update will introduce a stricter “After Reading” option. With this, messages will disappear from the sender’s chat 15 minutes after being sent and from the recipient’s chat 15 minutes after being read. If a message is never read, it will automatically disappear after 24 hours.

This setting can be applied per chat or across all chats. It also works even if read receipts are turned off, meaning messages will disappear from the sender’s device 15 minutes after sending, regardless of whether the recipient has read them.

The feature is still in development, and WhatsApp is refining the timer to ensure it works smoothly and reliably before releasing it more widely. The goal is to give users greater privacy and more control over how long their messages remain visible in conversations.