BUZZ Fam, a long-awaited feature from WhatsApp is to be rolled out globally later this month.

So you know how sometimes you have a ridiculous number of chats because you forget to delete them. Well, soon you won’t have to think about deleting them anymore; WhatsApp will make them vanish for you.

The feature will make them disappear a week after they were sent and will be available for both Android and iOS users. And don’t worry, if you still wanna keep those ‘receipts”, you can screenshot the messages. And unlike Snapchat, WhatsApp won’t warn you if they do take a screenshot.

WhatsApp said its goal with disappearing messages is to make conversations “feel as close to in-person as possible” so “they shouldn’t have to stick around forever”.

The company confirmed that either user can activate the feature for themselves, while in group conversations the admin user will have control.

“We’re starting with seven days because we think it offers peace of mind that conversations aren’t permanent,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said.

Unopened messages will also disappear after seven days.

However, previews of messages – even ones that have been deleted in the app – may still be displayed in a user’s notifications until WhatsApp is opened.

The firm added that quoted text used for replies will remain visible even after the original message has disappeared.

By default, media you receive in WhatsApp will be automatically downloaded to your photos app on your mobile device, the firm confirmed.

If disappearing messages are turned on, media sent in the chat will disappear but will be saved on the phone if auto-download is on.