WhatsApp's group chats could self-destruct in the future.
The company behind the popular messaging app is reportedly testing a new feature that allows users to set expiration dates on group chats.
WhatsApp might include this feature in a future update, though when it will come is still up for debate.
WhatsApp Self-Destructing Group Chats Feature Details
WhatsApp is allegedly working on bringing the ability to let users set expiration dates on group chats along with its usual bug fixes and general improvements, per WaBetaInfo.
The feature's test currently gives users four options regarding a group chat's expiration date: they could set it to expire in a day, in a week, or on a custom date of their choosing. They could also remove the expiration date they set if they wish to keep the group chat in their WhatsApp inbox.
Much like consumables with an expiration date, such as bread, milk, and butter, WhatsApp groups with a set expiration date will self-destruct, or at least, that's what the feature wants you to believe. It is unclear if the group chat with an expiration date set will automatically delete itself once the day arrives or if users will get a prompt to "clean up the group" instead.
However, the choice to put an expiration date on a group chat is limited to an individual basis, meaning that the group chat will continue to exist without the person that set an expiration date for the group, per Engadget.
WhatsApp Self-Destructing Group Chats Benefits
The feature is a godsend to people who tend to forget about the group chats they were in overtime; it saves them the time and effort of leaving the groups they were in and deleting them after doing so. However, it is unknown if the remaining people in the group chat would still be notified about the person leaving if they set an expiration date for the group chat they are members of.
WCCFTech mentioned that the feature could also be handy for people who must create groups for a weekend get-together, a party, a short trip, organizing events, and more.
The feature will also help people save some storage space on their device without much fuzz; group chats, like personal messages, are saved on a phone's storage for quick retrieval whenever the user opens the app on their device.
WhatsApp Self-Destructing Group Chats Feature Availability
The feature is currently being tested on iOS devices, meaning that iOS devices could have it first when it releases a future WhatsApp update.
It is also still under development. As such, WhatsApp is still not ready to let beta testers have at it and test the feature for themselves and provide feedback.
As previously mentioned, while WhatsApp will include the feature in a future WhatsApp update, the launch date of the update containing it is still up for debate.
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