WhatsApp reaches 3 billion monthly users

The WhatsApp application has more than 3 billion users each month, a milestone announced by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, in April 2025. It is the most used messaging service in the world, ahead of competitors such as Messenger or Viber.

Ephemeral feature inspired by Snapchat

For its ephemeral photos, WhatsApp was inspired by Snapchat, a pioneer in this area. The service, owned by Meta (which was still called Facebook at the time), launched a feature to send ephemeral photos and videos on August 3, 2021.

How to use the single-view feature

To use this feature, users go to a WhatsApp conversation, tap the paperclip (Android) or the + button (iOS), choose Camera or Gallery (Photos on iPhone), then take or select the photo or video to send. Before tapping the send icon, users tap the 1 circled in the caption field of the photo.

Single-view content disappears after viewing

A message will indicate that "single view is activated for this photo." The photo appears hidden in the conversation thread. The recipient can open it once by tapping on it. As soon as they close it, the photo disappears from the conversation. No option to save, transfer, or share the photo is offered.

Single-view now includes voice messages

Single view is no longer limited to photos and videos. Since December 7, 2023, it also works for voice messages. Users tap the microphone, swipe up to lock the recording, then tap the same "1" circled before sending. The message can only be listened to once.

Protection against screenshots and screen recordings

WhatsApp states that "single-view photos and videos are protected by end-to-end encryption," like the rest of WhatsApp messages. Since the end of 2022, the app has blocked screenshots and screen recordings of this content on mobile devices.

Limitations of the single-view feature

The protection assumes the recipient has updated the app, as WhatsApp acknowledges that an older version could still allow screenshots. However, nothing prevents the recipient from photographing the screen with another device. The sender is not notified in case of a screenshot or screen recording attempt.

Research reveals vulnerabilities in the system

In September 2024, researchers from Zengo, a cryptocurrency wallet startup, showed that WhatsApp servers treated this content like regular messages, with a simple instruction "to display only once." Some WhatsApp Web extensions ignored this instruction and kept a copy of the photos.

Improvements and remaining risks

WhatsApp released a full patch in December 2024. Computers and browsers connected to the recipient's account no longer receive this content, which only opens on the phone. Tal Be'ery, co-founder of Zengo, noted "a significant improvement," while noting that the sender's devices can still access it.

Content expires after 14 days

A single-view photo or video that is not opened within 14 days expires and disappears from the conversation. WhatsApp specifies, however, that the content, encrypted, can remain stored "for several weeks" on its servers after being sent. Recipients can also report an inappropriate photo or video. In this case, the content is sent to WhatsApp, despite end-to-end encryption.