WhatsApp View Once: Meta relaunch popular feature removed amid fears of child safety - how does it work?

WhatsApp is set to relaunch a popular feature after removing it from Meta's web and desktop app last year. The 'View Once' component allows users to send media that disappears after opened but was removed following claims it put children at a safety risk.

WhatsApp initially rolled out the feature in 2021 and became instantly popular due to offering users an additional level of privacy when sending photos and videos. The tool is available now to users who have installed the latest update of the desktop app or the latest edition of WhatsApp Web.

WhatsApp news website WABetaInfo said the 'inability' for users to 'send view once messages from desktop apps garnered significant user complaints last year' and that introducing the feature enhances users 'control' over shared media. 

While the feature prevents shared media from being stored in the device’s memory, it's important to remember recipients can also use a secondary mobile to capture the photo or video. It's also not yet understood if WhatsApp have amended the feature to further protect children's safety.

Alison Trew, Senior Online Safety Officer at The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), criticised WhatsApp when the feature was confirmed in August 2021. Trew said: "This view once feature could put children at even greater risk by giving offenders another tool to avoid detection and erase evidence, when efforts to combat child sexual abuse are already hindered by end-to-end encryption."

The feature is expected to be rolled out to all users over the coming weeks and will be available to both WhatsApp Windows and macOS users.

WABetaInfo added: "This reintroduction finally allows users to send photos and videos that can be viewed only once, preventing them from being stored in the device’s memory and offering a better level of privacy. This feature ensures that sensitive or temporary content remains ephemeral even when sending it from a desktop app, enhancing user control over shared media. 

"We believe that the decision to restore the ability to send view once messages confirms WhatsApp’s dedication to adapt and respond to user feedback, underscoring user-centricity in their updates."