WhatsApp is testing Zaps for one-time photos and videos on Android

WhatsApp renames Instants to Zaps

WhatsApp is developing a new ephemeral camera feature that will let people send photos and videos which vanish after one viewing. According to WABetaInfo, the feature was first called Instants, but the company has now renamed it Zaps, so any photo or video shared this way is known as a Zap.

The change surfaced in the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.46.2, which is distributed through the Google Play Store. An earlier version, 2.26.45.13, had revealed the original Instants feature. Because Zaps are still under development, they cannot be tested yet, and WhatsApp has not said when they will arrive.

The name fits the idea behind the feature. A zap suggests something fast and spontaneous, which matches the lightning bolt button users tap to open the camera. It also keeps the wording simple: a sender shares a Zap, and the recipient receives a Zap.

How a Zap works in the chat

When someone takes a photo or video with the new instant camera, that capture becomes a Zap. The recipient can view it once, and it disappears afterwards. WABetaInfo reports that Zaps are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only the sender and the recipient can see the content.

Zaps appear directly in the chat rather than in a separate area of the app. If a sender shares several in one conversation, WhatsApp groups them into a single item that shows the total count, so two Zaps would appear as 2 Zaps on the chat screen.

When a recipient opens a Zap, it is shown in a dedicated view with the sender's name at the bottom. The recipient can react with any emoji or reply by typing a message in the reply bar. The sender keeps a permanent record of the Zaps they have sent in the chat, but the feature will not list Zaps in the chat info screen where other media files appear.

Who can receive a Zap

The scope of the feature is widening. Earlier testing limited Instants to mutual contacts, meaning both people had to have each other saved. With the Zaps update, WhatsApp plans to let users send a Zap to any contact and to any group.

WABetaInfo also reports that WhatsApp may allow Zaps to be shared with channels, though it is unclear whether that option would be available from the start. The ability to send to unknown contacts marks a notable expansion of who can receive this type of disappearing media.

What happens next

Zaps are currently in development for Android and are not available for beta testers to try. WhatsApp has not announced a release date, so readers should treat the details as subject to change before any public rollout.

The feature mirrors a similar experience already offered on Instagram, which is also owned by Meta. If Zaps reach the stable version of WhatsApp, they would give users a quick way to share spontaneous photos and videos without adding permanent media to a conversation. WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp betas, notes that features seen in development do not always ship in their current form.