You need to send a photo of your PAN card, or a document with your address.
You do not want it sitting in someone's chat forever.
WhatsApp's View Once option is made for this.
But it is worth knowing exactly what it does and does not do.
What is View Once?
A photo, video or voice note that can be opened only one time.
After the person opens and closes it, it is gone from the chat.
It is not saved to their phone's gallery.
How do I send one?
Attach the photo as usual.
Before sending, tap the small circle with a 1 in it, next to the caption box.
It turns highlighted, and then you send.
The chat shows "Photo" instead of the picture itself.
Can they take a screenshot?
On many phones, WhatsApp blocks screenshots and screen recordings of View Once media.
But it cannot stop someone photographing the screen with another phone.
So treat View Once as a polite safeguard, not a guarantee.
When is it a good idea?
For a document someone needs to look at once, like an ID card for a booking.
For a Wi-Fi password or an address you would rather not leave lying around.
For a photo you are happy to share, but not to have forwarded.
When should I not send it at all?
Anything that would cause real harm if it were copied.
Bank passwords, OTPs, card numbers or CVVs, with or without View Once.
Private photos you would not want anyone else to ever see.
If it would be a disaster in the wrong hands, do not send it.
What about sharing ID documents safely?
Write the purpose across the copy, like "For hotel booking only, 14 Oct".
That makes it harder to reuse for anything else.
Send only the side or page that is actually needed.
Things to Remember
- Tap the 1 icon before sending to make a photo View Once.
- It disappears after one viewing and is not saved to their gallery.
- It cannot stop someone photographing the screen.
- Never send OTPs, PINs or card details, even as View Once.
- Write the purpose on ID copies before sharing them.