Mumbai, March 22: Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is reportedly developing a significant privacy update that will allow users to set a strict 15-minute expiration timer for text messages. Detected in the latest Android beta version 2.26.12.2, the "After Reading" feature aims to enhance the security of sensitive information by ensuring messages vanish shortly after being viewed by the recipient.

The upcoming tool builds upon the existing disappearing messages framework, which currently offers timeframes of 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. While those durations are suitable for general decluttering, the new 15-minute countdown is specifically designed for high-stakes data such as one-time passwords (OTP), verification codes, or confidential addresses that require immediate disposal after use. WhatsApp To Soon Let You Chat Without Sharing Your Phone Number, Know Details.

WhatsApp New Feature: Functionality of the 15-Minute Countdown

The "After Reading" mechanism triggers a 15-minute self-destruct sequence as soon as a message is opened. According to reports from WABetaInfo, the message will be deleted from both the sender and the receiver's chat history once the timer expires. To prevent messages from lingering indefinitely if ignored, the system includes a failsafe where unread messages will automatically expire after 24 hours.

A notable technical aspect of this update is its interaction with privacy settings. The countdown will reportedly function even if a user has disabled read receipts (blue ticks). The application will internally track when a message is accessed to initiate the deletion process, ensuring the sender's privacy preferences are maintained regardless of the recipient's settings.

WhatsApp plans to offer flexibility in how the feature is applied, allowing users to enable the "After Reading" timer for specific individual chats or as a global setting across all conversations. This mimics the "View Once" functionality currently available for media files and voice notes, effectively extending one-time-use security to standard text messaging. WhatsApp Username and IDs To Roll Out by June 2026; Platform Exploring New Pricing Model for Businesses.

The feature is currently in the active development phase and has not yet been released to general beta testers. Following the standard development cycle, WhatsApp is expected to refine the reliability of the timer before rolling it out to the public in a future software update.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 22, 2026 09:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).