Find out WhatsApp’s new features and how it can impact online safety.
As one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, WhatsApp has become a prevalent communication tool for people of all ages. However, it’s important to use it safely and responsibly, especially when it comes to protecting your personal information and privacy.
If you’re a parent or carer and you’d like to know the basic information about the app, we recommend reading previous guidance. WhatsApp have recently announced a new feature called “Keep in Chat,” and have announced a new feature that allows users to edit messages within 15 minutes of sending them. This article will explain what it is and what it means for your online safety.
What is WhatsApp’s new editing feature?
WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Meta, has announced the introduction of a new editing feature. This feature allows users to modify messages up to 15 minutes after they have been sent.
The editing feature provides users with greater control over their messages, enabling them to make corrections or add additional information even after hitting the send button.
Messages that have been edited will display an “edited” tag.
This is similar to the “This message has been deleted” tag that appears in chats when a user permanently deletes a message they have sent, however, the ability to delete a message does not have a time limit, but does notify users of the chat if they have their notifications for WhatsApp switched on.
How does WhatsApp’s new editing feature impact online safety?
There are positives and negatives to editing features from an online safety perspective.
WhatsApp’s introduction of the message editing feature represents a significant step towards enhancing user experience and control within the messaging service.
A primary benefit is that editing messages enables users to clarify what they intended to say and address misunderstandings. Also, if a user regrets sending a message, changing or deleting it can save embarrassment and protect their digital wellbeing.
However, when messages are edited, the original content is lost forever, and this lack of transparency can be an issue if somebody was looking to report a message.
Bitesize online safety: Is the function of editing messages new?
Editing messages is not a new feature. Meta’s social media platforms have enabled users to edit messages for almost a decade with Facebook, and a few years with Instagram.
Whilst Facebook used to display the history of edits on a user’s edited post, it now – along with Instagram – does not save the history of edited posts, or save the data for the user to access.
Whilst WhatsApp does to display the history of edited posts, the edited tag at least informs other users that a comment has been changed.
On Twitter, users can only edit comments if they are subscribed to Twitter Blue.
What is the new Keep in Chat feature on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp already has a feature called Disappearing Messages, which means that conversations are automatically deleted after a certain amount of time. This can be great for privacy and security, but sometimes there’s a message you want to keep for later. That’s where “Keep in Chat” comes in.
With this new feature, you can select certain messages that you want to keep, and they’ll be saved in a folder called Kept Messages. You could use this feature to save specific and useful information, like a confirmation number or an address for a meeting.
If you are the sender of a message, you’ll have the power to decide whether others in the chat can keep it for later. If you want to make sure your message stays private, you can choose to delete it after a certain amount of time, even if the other person tries to save it.
If someone tries to save your message, you’ll be notified and can refuse their decision. This provides you with the final say on how your messages are protected within WhatsApp, however will not stop people being able to screenshot messages on their devices
To activate the feature, just look for the bookmark icon next to messages you want to save.
Is WhatsApp’s “Keep in Chat” feature safe?
While the “Keep in Chat” feature can be useful, it’s important to be aware of its potential drawbacks. The “Keep in Chat” feature could potentially create a false sense of security for users, or provide a tempting space to share sensitive or private information they wouldn’t otherwise share.
Remember that certain information should not be shared onlinee and that no message or contribution of information in the online world is ever guaranteed to be private.
Knowing that they can keep certain messages, users may feel more comfortable sharing personal details, such as a home address or banking information. Always think twice about whether you could be putting your private information at risk before sending or saving a message.
“Keep in Chat” will be rolling out globally soon.
