In 2020, WhatsApp released the disappearing messages feature which can delete messages automatically after a set period of time. This feature is intended to increase user privacy, but there are times when messages sent are important and want to be saved.
The way to deal with it now is to turn off the disappearing messages feature first, forward messages to the same contact, and turn on disappearing messages again.
But the above method is certainly quite complicated. Because of that, WhatsApp developed a feature that can save messages that disappear automatically in chats.
This feature was discovered by WABetaInfo in WhatsApp Beta for Android version 2.22.7.4 which was just registered on the Google Play Store. Currently this feature is still in the development stage so it cannot be used by beta testers.
From the screenshot uploaded by WABetaInfo, if a user decides to save a missing message in the chat there will be a warning asking the user if they want to save the chat.
WhatsApp's new feature to save disappearing messages Photo: WABetaInfo
If the user decides to save a message, it will not disappear from the chat after a set period of time. Message recipients can still see the message but they can still delete it later.
If users have saved disappearing messages before, they have the option of 'unkeeping' to delete them in chat, as quoted from WABetaInfo, Sunday (13/3/2022).
This feature appears to be still in the early stages of development. Like other features that are still under development, their purpose and way of working may be different, or they may not launch at all.
In addition to the feature to save disappearing messages, WhatsApp is also testing new restrictions on forwarding messages. This new feature will limit forwarded messages to only one group.