WhatsApp introduced the View Once feature in 2021. It was designed for photos and videos that disappear from a chat after the recipient opens them once.
The feature began rolling out in August 2021 as a privacy-focused alternative to sending media that remains permanently visible in a conversation. A View Once item is marked with a one-time icon and changes to an “opened” state after it has been viewed, helping users distinguish it from ordinary media.
View Once is not the same as WhatsApp’s disappearing-message setting, which removes messages after a selected period such as seven days. It also is not a guarantee that content can never be captured: recipients may use another device to photograph or record the screen. WhatsApp later added screenshot blocking for View Once media and expanded the concept to voice messages in 2023.