Now WhatsApp can save ‘disappearing’ messages if the sender consents

Something to keep in mind before sending a risky text via WhatsApp is that disappearing messages are now a bit more optional. Mark Zuckerberg announces a new tweak to the service’s save-after-read feature, which allows the recipient to tap on a long message and choose to save it.

WhatsApp describes the patch as a “sender superpower,” and assuming everything works as designed, it still puts the sender in control of what ends up happening with the message. This is because the sender is notified when a recipient tries to save a message, and the sender can then choose whether it disappears or is saved.

According to the company’s blog post, this allows senders to “veto” a recipient’s attempt to save a message. “If you have decided that your message cannot be saved by others, your decision is final, no one else can save it, and the message will be deleted when the timer expires.”

If you choose to save a message you’ve received and the sender agrees, it will have a checkmark icon on it and you’ll be able to see them in your saved messages folder.

The feature will roll out globally over the next few weeks.