Recent screenshots now indicate that Meta has been working on a new message menu for WhatsApp, aiming to improve the accessibility of this feature.
This followed WhatsApp’s announcement in 2021 about allowing users to send photos and videos that could only be viewed once.
Meanwhile, users can designate media as viewable only once by tapping an icon in the caption bar during the sending process.
According to reports from WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp beta version 2.23.18.3 includes a modification in how such messages can be sent.
The screenshots suggest that a new method for sending view-once messages involves tapping and holding the send button. However, this feature does not currently support sending GIFs in view-once mode.
This change could potentially pave the way for Meta to extend the view-once feature to other message types.
Despite the upcoming ease of sending view-once messages, this feature is not without its shortcomings. There is a risk that recipients might record the view-once content using another device, potentially leading to the leakage of sensitive information.
Although Meta has endeavored to position WhatsApp as a leader in secure, encrypted messaging apps, the platform has experienced instances of hacking, despite its security measures.
An example of this was in July when a vulnerability was uncovered that allowed hackers to remotely deactivate stolen accounts through a loophole in Meta’s system.
This was due to Meta’s failure to verify email addresses associated with deactivation requests, enabling hackers to exploit the situation. While Meta has since taken corrective action, these vulnerabilities continue to raise concerns among users.
Nonetheless, Meta has introduced several security features to provide users with some level of assurance regarding the safety of their WhatsApp messages.
Features such as two-factor authentication, end-to-end encrypted backup, and biometric protection contribute to safeguarding conversations from unauthorized access.
