WhatsApp regularly gets new features helping it cement its position as the leading online messaging app. A couple of days ago, we learned that Meta is working on a WhatsApp capability to make spam calls a thing of the past. Alongside this, it seems that the company is working on a feature to let groups "expire" at a scheduled time.
WABetaInfo reports that the latest WhatsApp Beta release for iOS has a new work-in-progress feature labeled "expiring groups". As the name suggests, this configuration dissolves the group after its scheduled expiration date has been reached.
It's important to note that the group won't get deleted. Instead, you'll be prompted to clear all messages in the group. Meta's vision with this feature is currently unknown but one benefit could be to clear the messages and media in a group chat to save some storage space. It could also serve as a reminder to exit groups that you are inactive in.
For now, you can set groups to expire in a day, a week, or at a custom time. You may choose to remove the expiration date altogether too. The expiration feature will only impact your "view" of the group, it will continue to exist as-is for other members of the chat. Finally, it's worth remembering that this feature is currently being tested in WhatsApp Beta, there is no guarantee of general availability.
Source: WABetaInfo via Engadget
