DLNews Technology:

WhatsApp is known for pre-testing new features through the beta program. For example, 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 they can only view once before they are automatically deleted. The function is handy if the sender does not want the displayed content to remain on the recipient's smartphone long-term. However, it's stupid that the images and videos sent 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 intended to prevent that.

WhatsApp bans screenshots for one-time messages.

The update is available for both Android and iOS through the beta program. According to WABetaInfo, it is part of the campaign for more privacy that Mark Zuckerberg announced via Facebook back in August. With the update, WhatsApp prevents recipients from taking a screenshot or screen capture of a photo or video 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 attempts to screenshot the content of one-time messages. It is also impossible to open one-time messages while a screen recording is in progress.

In general, however, screenshots are allowed for regular text messages via WhatsApp. Moreover, chats can be recorded even if they contain one-time messages since the screenshot ban only applies to photos and videos.

As before, forwarding, exporting, or saving view-once photos and videos is still impossible.

However, WhatsApp explicitly points out that users should be careful despite the screenshot ban. In principle, one-time 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.