WhatsApp is known for pre-testing new features through the beta program. An update is currently available for users with which the messenger abolishes a function – and in this case that is actually a good thing.
Since August 2021, WhatsApp users have been able to send photos and videos in a way that allows them to be viewed only once before they are automatically deleted. The function is particularly useful if the sender does not want the displayed content to remain on the recipient’s smartphone in the long term. It’s just stupid that the images and videos sent in this way can only be screenshotted so far. The usefulness of the “watch once” function can thus be undermined – until now. Because WhatsApp is currently testing a screenshot ban that is intended to prevent exactly that.
WhatsApp bans screenshots for one-time messages
The update is available for both Android and iOS through the beta program. It’s noisy WABetaInfo Part of the privacy campaign Mark Zuckerberg announced on Facebook back in August. With the update, WhatsApp prevents recipients from taking a screenshot or screen recording of a photo or video that is intended for one-time viewing. Android users will then see a black screen saying “Can’t take screenshot due to security policy”. On the other hand, for iPhone users, “The screenshot was blocked for added privacy” appears.
In the future, the following guidelines will apply when WhatsApp users activate the screenshot ban for their account:
- WhatsApp does not inform senders of photos and videos when someone takes a screenshot. However, the messenger prevents any attempt to screenshot the content of one-time messages. It is also not possible to open one-time messages while a screen recording is in progress.
- With regular text messages via WhatsApp, however, screenshots are generally allowed. Chats can be recorded even if they contain one-time messages, since the screenshot ban only applies to photos and videos.
- As before, it will not be possible to forward, export or save photos and videos that can be viewed once.
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However, WhatsApp explicitly points out that users should be careful despite the screenshot ban. In principle, one-off messages can also be recorded with an additional device – for example, if the recipient films or photographs the screen with another mobile phone. Senders of one-time messages should therefore think carefully about which media they share with others.