View once is a feature on WhatsApp that allows you to send photos and videos that can only be viewed once before they disappear. There are a few common reasons why you may be unable to open view once media on WhatsApp:
Expired View Once Media
The most likely reason is that the view once media has already been opened and has expired. View once photos, videos, and GIFs can only be opened one time before they disappear forever. So if the recipient has already opened the media, you will not be able to view it again.
There is no way to retrieve expired view once media. The whole point of this feature is that the media is automatically deleted after being viewed. So if you didn’t open it in time, it’s gone for good.
Poor Internet Connection
If you or the sender had a poor internet connection when the view once was sent, it may fail to load properly. The media will show as expired without ever being viewed.
To avoid this, make sure you both have a stable internet connection when sending/receiving view once media. Using WiFi instead of mobile data can help prevent this issue.
Unsupported Media Format
WhatsApp only supports certain media formats for view once. If the sender tries to send a view once in an unsupported format, it simply will not send properly. For example, view once does not currently support:
- HEIC photo files
- GIFs over 5MB
- Videos longer than 16 seconds
The sender will have to convert the media to a supported format like JPG or MP4 before resending as view once. The file size and length limits are in place to preserve privacy by limiting saving and recording.
Device Incompatibility
In rare cases, device incompatibility between the sender and recipient can prevent view once from working properly. For example:
- An outdated version of WhatsApp on one device
- An iOS user sending to an Android user (or vice versa)
- Differences between iPhone and Android file systems
To rule this out, try sending view once media between two different devices. If it works on one device pairing but not another, incompatibility could be the issue.
Corrupted Media Files
If the actual media file gets corrupted during transfer, WhatsApp will not be able to open and display it. This can sometimes happen if there are connection issues interrupting the file transfer.
You may see an error message that the media could not be downloaded. The sender will have to resend the view once media in this case.
Banned or Blocked Contact
You will not be able to open view once media from any contacts that you have banned or blocked. Their messages, including view once, will not go through.
Similarly, if the sender has banned or blocked you, the view once will expire without ever reaching your device.
Unblocking the contact is the only way to allow view once to be exchanged again.
Media Downloading Disabled
If you have disabled auto-downloading of media in WhatsApp settings, view once will not work properly. Media will have to be downloaded first before it can be viewed.
Go to WhatsApp Settings > Data and Storage Usage and enable “Media Auto-Download” to resolve this. You can choose to enable over WiFi only to save mobile data.
How View Once Works in WhatsApp
Understanding how view once functions in WhatsApp can help troubleshoot issues:
- Media is encrypted end-to-end during transfer
- Media file is deleted from WhatsApp servers after delivery to recipient
- Media self-destructs after being opened once in recipient’s WhatsApp
- Opening media also generates a screenshot notification for sender
- Expired media cannot be retrieved by anyone, including WhatsApp
With this implementation, view once photos, videos, and GIFs can only be viewed momentarily before disappearing forever. There are no backups or ways to restore access.
When View Once Can Be Useful
Due to the ephemeral and self-deleting nature, view once is best suited for:
- Sharing sensitive/private media you don’t want saved
- Quickly showing someone something without cluttering up their camera roll
- Temporary photos that don’t need to be accessed again (like outfit choices)
It should not be used for:
- Permanent memories you may want to look back on
- Important media or information that needs to be referenced again
- Content required for legal/compliance reasons
Troubleshooting When View Once Won’t Open
Try these troubleshooting steps if you are unable to open view once media:
- Confirm the media has not already been viewed and expired
- Check that both devices have a strong internet connection
- Ensure the media format & size is supported (JPG, MP4, under 5MB)
- Update to the latest version of WhatsApp
- Disable bans/blocks on the contact if applicable
- Enable media auto-download in WhatsApp settings
If none of these resolve it, ask the sender to resend the media and try viewing again immediately. Persistent issues may require contacting WhatsApp support for help.
How to Recover Expired View Once Media
Unfortunately, recovering expired view once media is impossible by design. The whole point is that the media is securely deleted after being viewed once.
Not even WhatsApp can retrieve the files after they self-destruct on the recipient’s device. There is no online backup or cache of view once media.
Some things you CANNOT do to try and restore access include:
- Restore from a chat backup – view once is excluded from backups
- Use data recovery software – the files are too encrypted
- Ask WhatsApp to send the media again – it’s deleted from their servers
- Find it on the sender’s device – gets deleted after sending
Your only option is to have the sender resend the media, this time not as view once. You will have to ask them to keep the photo/video in their gallery and send it normally.
Ways to Save View Once Media Before Opening
If you want to keep view once media permanently, you need to save it BEFORE opening in WhatsApp:
- Screen record video while preview is playing
- Take screenshot of photo in preview screen
- Use another device to photograph image/video
- Download media from notification before launching
Once opened in WhatsApp, it will be deleted right after viewing and lost forever. Act quickly as soon as you receive the view once to save it.
Conclusion
View once can be a useful WhatsApp feature for privacy and reducing clutter. But if not working properly, it can be frustrating and lead to permanent loss of media. Issues are often due to expired media, poor connections, or unsupported formats. There is no way to recover media after it expires, so be sure to save view once content immediately if you want to keep it. Following troubleshooting steps and understanding how view once functions can help avoid problems accessing this ephemeral messaging feature.