WHATSAPP pals may soon be able to unsend YOUR messages.
The surprising new feature would allow other people to press “Delete For Everyone” on texts you’ve sent.
1
It’s a follow-on from the standard Delete For Everyone tool that lets you unsend messages.
Unsending is different from standard deletion, but it removes the text from recipient phones too.
It’s an easy way to scrub any sensitive missives from WhatsApp devices.
WhatsApp recently added a feature that automatically unsends texts after a certain amount of time too.
Now WhatsApp sleuths at WABetainfo have uncovered a new feature that lets group admins unsend your texts.
It means the person running the group can remove a text from everyone in that group’s member list.
Most read in News Tech
This effectively turns admins into moderators for the group.
“If you are a group admin, you will be able to delete any message for everyone in your groups,” WABetaInfo writes.
It’s likely that this would only apply to messages sent after the update went live.
The feature will soon be tested on the Android beta for WhatsApp.
This is where WhatsApp can test new features before rolling them out more widely.
Find out how to join the WhatsApp beta at the bottom of this article.
It’s possible that WhatsApp might scrap this feature before it goes live.
But WABetaInfo says it’s going to be tested on both iOS and Android very soon.
Of course, vanishing texts are never fool-proof.
Recipients could screenshot your messages and save them long after deletion.
But even though screenshotting is possible, the recipient might not do so.
So it’s generally a good idea to enable automatic deletion anyway.
How to get WhatsApp beta
To download WhatsApp beta for your smartphone you need to go to Google Play on your Android and search for WhatsApp.
Scroll down the page until you see “Become a Beta Tester”.
Tap the “I’m In” button and then click “Join” to confirm.
Now all you have to do is wait for the update to the beta version of the app.
Joining the WhatsApp beta on iPhone is more difficult, and has limited capacity.
Follow Apple’s guide here.
Find out more about science
Want to know more about the weird and wonderful world of science? From the Moon to the human body, we have you covered…
In other news, Google Chrome users have been urged to delete their browser.
Facebook recently rebranded to Meta.
Check out the best iPhone 13 deals.
And take a look at your hidden Facebook rejection folder.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
