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WhatsApp's disappearing messages feature means new messages sent within an individual chat will automatically disappear after 24 hours, seven days or 90 days when turned on.

Disappearing messages is a feature available on some other services, like Signal, but this is how the feature works on WhatsApp, what to watch out for and how to enable the feature.

How do disappearing messages on WhatsApp work?

  • Set messages to disappear after 24 hours, seven days or 90 days
  • Can be used on an individual chat basis or all chats
  • Admins only for group chats

Disappearing messages is a feature that needs to be enabled on WhatsApp. Once you have enabled the feature, messages sent in an individual or group chat will disappear after 24 hours, seven days or 90 days, depending on what you have set.

WhatsApp messages that were sent or received previous to the disappearing messages feature being enabled won't be affected so you'll still be able to view them.

This disappearing messages feature can be enabled for all new chats that you start or are started with you, or you can enable it for individual chats and either user within the individual chat can turn the feature on or off. In a WhatsApp group chat, only the group admins will be able to turn disappearing messages on or off.

When you turn disappearing messages on you'll see a notification automatically posted in the WhatsApp chat. It says something like:

"Scott turned on disappearing messages. New messages will disappear from this chat 90 days after they're sent, except when kept."

So whoever you're chatting with might raise a curious eyebrow when they get that notification unless you've already told them why you're doing it. Something to keep in mind.

What should you watch out for?

  • Previews
  • Replies
  • Screenshots
  • Backups

There are a few things to keep in mind when using disappearing messages on WhatsApp. How these disappearing messages work differs depending on what you're doing and there are times the messages might still appear when you don't want them to.

Messages could still appear, for example, as a preview in your phone notifications if a user hasn't opened WhatsApp. The preview would disappear when WhatsApp is opened, however.

Also if you reply to a disappearing message and the initial message is quoted, then it could still appear in the WhatsApp chat after the set disappearing period.

If the disappearing messages are forwarded to a chat that doesn't have disappearing messages enabled, the message won't disappear in that chat and will still be visible.

If a backup is created before the disappearing message disappears, the message will be included in the backup but disappearing messages will be deleted when you restore from a backup.

It's also worth noting that screenshots and photos can still be taken of a disappearing message before it goes and users can also copy and save content from a disappearing message before it disappears.

What about photos and media in WhatsApp messages?

  • Images are saved by default and might not disappear

WhatsApp automatically saves media that comes through the service to your photos by default.

It can be turned off - see our WhatsApp tips and tricks feature for help - but that means that while media and images would disappear if disappearing messages are enabled for that chat, they would still be saved on the recipient's phone.

Whatsapp disappearing messages

How to enable or disable WhatsApp disappearing messages

To enable or disable disappearing messages on iPhone or Android:

  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Open the individual chat
  3. Tap on the contact's name at the top
  4. Select Disappearing Messages
  5. Tap Continue (if prompted)
  6. Select on or off
  7. Choose the length of time the disappearing messages option will apply to

How to enable or disable disappearing messages for all chats

As well as specific chats it's also possible to enable or disable disappearing messages for all WhatsApp chats. To do this follow these steps:

  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Tap on Settings
  3. Tap on Account
  4. Tap on Privacy
  5. Tap on Default Message Timer
  6. Select 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days

How to enable or disable disappearing messages on a group chat

To enable or disable disappearing messages on a group chat you have to be an admin. If you are:

  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Open the group chat
  3. Tap on the group name at the top
  4. Select Disappearing Messages
  5. Tap Continue (if prompted)
  6. Select on or off

How to enable disappearing messages on Web and Desktop

If you're an avid user of WhatsApp on desktop then you'll be pleased to read that it's also possible to use disappearing messages there as well.

To enable or disable disappearing messages on WhatsApp Web or Desktop apps:

  1. Open WhatsApp Web/App
  2. Open the individual chat or group
  3. Tap on the contact or group name at the top
  4. Select Disappearing Messages
  5. Tap Continue (if prompted)
  6. Select on or off

How to delete WhatsApp messages

As well as disappearing messages it's also possible to manually delete WhatsApp messages. Deleting messages this way will immediately remove them from the chat, though there's no guarantee it will prevent them from being seen by the other person unless you're quick. If you manage to follow these steps and delete a WhatsApp message before it gets the received or read ticks then you might be able to make it disappear but even if that's the case you'll still see a "this message was deleted" notification on both ends of the WhatsApp chat.

To manually delete a message from WhatsApp on your phone you just:

  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Head to the chat in question
  3. Find the message you want to delete
  4. Press and hold the message and choose the delete option from the top of the screen
  5. You can also select multiple message for deletion while you have one highlighted

You'll see the option to delete for everyone or delete for yourself. You need to select everyone if you don't want the other person seeing because the message was sent in error. You can also delete other people's messages from sent chats, but you can only delete your view of the message here.