WhatsApp update! Now you can keep the disappearing messages
February 26, 2023 5:29 p.m. Reading time: 2 minutes
The Keep feature is currently available to select beta testers on iOS and Android
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update for iOS and Android that allows users to prevent messages from disappearing from chats. If message disappearance is enabled for a specific chat, you can use the Keep action on the required text to prevent it from being automatically deleted from the conversation. This feature is currently rolling out to select beta testers.
Why is this story important?
Meta-owned WhatsApp introduced the disappearing messages feature for new conversations in 2020. Now the platform is working on a tool that would allow users to keep the messages even if the disappearing messages feature is enabled in a conversation. This add-on offers more flexibility and control over the automatic deletion of messages. It is currently rolling out in the latest versions of WhatsApp Beta for iOS and Android.
Keep disappearing messages with “Keep” feature
The new WhatsApp beta update introduced the “Keep” feature which basically helps you to prevent certain disappearing messages from expiring. You can use this feature for certain text messages within the chat where the message disappearing feature has been enabled.
How to use the new ability?
Go to a specific conversation, long press on the message you want to keep and click “Keep”. The text is marked with a bookmark icon and listed in the Saved Messages section. Note that there may be some limitations to prevent old messages from disappearing i.e. 24-30 days. You may not be able to keep a message that is 50 days old.
People can also use the pick up action
If you used the keep action to prevent a message from disappearing, remember that the other person(s) involved in the conversation can disable your action on the message in chat, using the “Don’t Keep” action. However, in groups, only admins can have the ability to keep/unhide a disappearing message if they have restricted who can edit their group info.
WhatsApp will soon allow scheduling group calls on iOS/Android
WhatsApp is also working on the ability to allow users to schedule group calls (audio/video) on iOS and Android. The feature is currently under development. Upon launch, a new context menu is offered with a scheduling option where you can set the time and assign a name to the scheduled call. When the call begins, group members are notified immediately.
