WhatsApp May Soon Let Android Users View ‘View Once’ Messages On Linked Devices

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature for Android beta users that allows them to view "view once" images, videos, and voice messages on linked devices. Previously, such content could only be accessed on the primary device. With this update, users can now check view-once media on linked devices like PCs, Android tablets, and even secondary smartphones.

Limited Beta Testing for Now

According to WABetaInfo, the feature is currently available to a limited number of beta testers (version 2.25.3.7) but is expected to be widely released soon. This update enhances the functionality of linked devices, bringing them closer to the primary device in terms of accessing self-destructing media.

What This Means for Users

Previously, users attempting to open view-once content on linked devices would see a message saying, "Waiting for this message. This may take a while." With this new update, that restriction may soon be lifted. However, it's still unclear when the feature will be available in the stable version of WhatsApp.

WhatsApp first started working on the ability to send view-once media from linked devices in November 2023. Despite over a year of development, the feature is yet to roll out widely across all platforms. Now, as WhatsApp enables viewing view-once content on linked devices, users are hopeful that sending such messages from these devices will also become possible.

Recent Security Concerns

Recently, a WhatsApp vulnerability allowed users to reopen view-once images and videos even after they had been viewed, raising privacy concerns. However, WhatsApp and Meta acted quickly to fix the issue.

According to WhatsApp’s support page, some features remain unavailable on linked devices, including live location tracking and broadcast list management. However, there are no specific restrictions mentioned for view-once media or voice messages.