WhatsApp extends the 'delete for everyone' feature from 7 minutes to over an hour

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone
WhatsApp has silently rolled out a message deletion feature modification in the latest beta, extending the previous deletion window of seven minutes to a bit over an hour to erase messages either sent in error, or only intended to be displayed for a limited period of time.




The new feature for the chat app originally debuted in October. It allows you to delete a message after you've already sent it, and is a great way to remove a message you had sent on accident or to the wrong messaging thread.

When first released, you originally had seven minutes to delete the sent message. That limit has been increased to an oddly specific one hour, eight minutes, and 16 seconds. The Verge, notes that the timeframe equates to 2^12 seconds.

Since WhatsApp doesn't have an ephemeral messaging feature, this longer delete time could allow these types of conversations to take place. However, WhatsApp has been mum on on the increased time, neither publicly commenting or updating their support documentation.

WhatsApp requires iOS 7 or newer, is free, and requires 155MB of device storage space.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,667member
    This is good to know. If only you could delete without leaving a trace. The big want for me though is allowing non-square profile images.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,089member
    AppleInsider said:

    When first released, you originally had seven minutes to delete the sent message. That limit has been increased to an oddly specific one hour, eight minutes, and 16 seconds. The Verge, notes that the timeframe equates to 2^12 seconds.

    That is just bizarre.  What company rolls out a feature like that with such a non-intuitive duration?  I get some some nerd developer might have thought that was clever, but it's not.
  • Reply 3 of 4
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,924member
    The problem is WhatsApp sucks battery even more than Flash does. My wife has some family abroad that uses it and every time she uses WhatsApp to text with them she has to plug her phone in to charge
  • Reply 4 of 4
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,560member
    MplsP said:
    The problem is WhatsApp sucks battery even more than Flash does. My wife has some family abroad that uses it and every time she uses WhatsApp to text with them she has to plug her phone in to charge
    It’s either not WhatsApp, or there is something wrong. 

    Literally everybody here uses WhatsApp—it’s the default Messenger, even for iOS users—and battery life is just fine. 
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