WhatsApp users might soon be able to send self-destructing chat messages in a future update for the app if recent reports are to be believed.

The popular messaging app is rumored to be developing several new features that will be introduced in upcoming updates. One of these possible additions is "disappearing messages" that is designed to keep sensitive pieces of information in chats safe from prying eyes.

WhatsApp's Self-Destructing Messages

The new disappearing messages feature was first reported by WABetaInfo, which said the function was included in WhatsApp's 2.19.275 update.

The article clarified that the service is still in its testing phase and that it may not appear even if users switch to the latest version of the app. The developers are likely ironing out all the bugs to make sure that the feature performs smoothly once it's rolled out to the public.

Those who are able to see the disappearing messages function in the app can try it out in their conversations. To make a message self-destruct, users need to mark a chat as "disappeared." This will have all messages sent during that particular chat be automatically deleted after a certain period. Users can choose how long messages will remain active before they are erased from the app.

So far, the service is available under app's Group Info, but it will likely be made available for private messages once it's released.

WhatsApp has yet to reveal when it plans to roll out the disappearing messages service and what other features it will have.

Disappearing Messages In Other Apps

Other mobile apps have also dabbled in self-destructing messages before. WhatsApp's rival Telegram provides users the option to have their correspondence be automatically deleted after a set amount of time. This includes messages, photos, videos, and other files sent from one person to another.

Once a self-destructing message is read or opened, it will disappear from both the sender and receiver's devices.

Telegram said its Secret Chats feature is device-specific, and messages sent through it will not be part of the app's cloud service.

Gmail also rolled out a similar function through its confidential mode. First introduced in the app's 2018 update, the feature allows users to send messages that can expire. This effectively prevents recipients from copying, forwarding, or downloading the message's contents.

The confidential mode was also incorporated into Gmail for G Suite users in June. Companies that use the emailing service for their employees can turn on the feature to keep sensitive business documents protected.

Gmail users can access the mode through desktop or the official mobile app. However, they need to activate the feature every time they send a message, regardless of what platform they use.