Facebook owned instant messaging major WhatsApp keeps adding news features to retain its market among smartphone users. After rolling out a number of new features including the Dark Mode, expectation are high from the company to roll out the much-awaited ‘Delete Message’ option in the next update.
The ‘Delete Message’ option has been under beta testing phase for some time now and has been widely reported. That said, there have been some changes made to this feature over the period. The previously spotted Android 2.19.348 beta version has been discovered in iOS beta of the WhatsApp as well. The feature, however, has been listed as a ‘cleaning tool’ by the messaging app as it is only available for group chats in iOS beta of WhatsApp.
According to reliable WhatsApp tipster WABetaInfo, the reference to ‘Delete Message’ in individual chats have been completely removed in the latest WhatsApp for iOS beta version.
In WhatsApp for Android beta, Delete Messages option continues to be available for individual chats as well. WABetaInfo suggests that this feature will be used as a ‘cleaning tool’ for WhatsApp groups where group admins will be able to enable or disable it.
This feature is aimed at saving phone’s storage by deleting old messages automatically.
In order to use this option, group admins will need to go to Group Settings tab. They can choose a timeframe ranging from one hour to one year for which they want the messages to last before they are deleted. This feature can be turned off as well.
WhatsApp, meanwhile, is yet to make any official statement pertaining to the rollout of this feature.
It should be mentioned here that this feature is not available for the public as it is still under development. In fact, this feature was initially reported as ‘Disappearing Messages’. However, in subsequent WhatsApp beta versions for Android, it was renamed as Delete Messages.
