New WhatsApp beta is testing Expiring Groups feature
WhatsApp introduced disappearing messages back in 2020, but those were only for one on one chats. An Expiring Groups feature is now in the works as it was spotted in the TestFlight app with version WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.5.0.070.
As you can see in the screenshot, the feature is available under the group settings and it lets you pick an expiration time frame – a day, a week or a custom date.
Expiring Groups feature lands in WhatsApp TestFlight beta
An important note: while this is under the group settings, it only applies to your own messages. So, unless the other participants in the group have also set expiration dates, they will remain in the group with their messages still visible.
Also, you can always change your mind – you can cancel the expiration at any point and even if you forget to do that, WhatsApp will prompt you to confirm before actually deleting your messages.
This could prove a useful tool to declutter your WhatsApp account. Old, no longer relevant groups can be automatically scrubbed, which will also free up any storage they were using.
