WhatsApp was recently spotted testing a new “Kept” messages feature, that will allow users to save disappearing messages in the future.

By Ankita Chakravarti: WhatsApp is working on a host of new features. The messaging app was recently spotted testing a new “Kept” messages feature, that will allow users to save disappearing messages. WhatsApp is currently developing the feature and it has not been rolled out to beta testers yet. WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature lets users send messages that only remain on the chat window for a specific period of time. However, with a kept message feature, those disappearing messages can be saved.

Even though the feature was not rolled out for beta testers, it was first spotted by Wabetainfo. The website reports that kept messages is just another form of disappearing message that has temporarily been saved, meaning it will not be automatically deleted from the chat and everyone in the conversation can still see it. However, users will still have the ability to “un-keep” the messages if they do not wish to save it. Once they select the un-keep option, the chats will disappear from the chat forever.

As per the screenshot shared by Wabetainfo, the bookmark icon, which represents a kept message, can be found in the message bubble of disappearing messages to identify a kept message. The symbol indicates that the disappearing message has been “kept”. Once the icon appears, the chat will not disappear from the window.

“This icon serves as a visual indicator that the disappearing message has been “kept” and will not disappear from the chat, even if the disappearing messages feature is turned on and the message is already expired. This feature allows users to easily distinguish kept messages from regular disappearing messages within the chat. It is worth noting that all participants in the conversation can delete these messages at any time,” the website noted.

The website reports that WhatsApp is currently developing the ability to keep disappearing messages for a future update of the app. It is not known when the feature will be released to users.

On a related note, WhatsApp officially rolled out the feature to access the messaging app in cases of internet shutdowns. WhatsApp has introduced proxy servers, using which WhatsApp users will be able to access the messaging app. The new services will be particularly helpful in countries and cities where internet shutdowns happen quite frequently. Currently, the internet has been shut down completely for months due to an ongoing protest against hijab.