How to send disappearing messages in every damn chat app
Your incriminating conversations shall forever vanish
WhatsApp may be the world’s popular messenger, but it was a late arrival to the disappearing chats party.
The company only started rolling out the feature in November 2020 — and the launchcame with a catch.Once the feature is enabled, new messages willstay for seven days before they disappear— and this can’t be adjusted.
WhatsAppsays this means you“don’t forget what you were chatting about”. However, it also leaves your messages exposed for seven days.
On the plus side, the feature is easy to enable:
Signal
Signal has offered vanishing messages since 2016. It also provides way more customization options than WhatsApp.
You can make messages disappear after any length of time between one second and four weeks. You can also set adefault timer for all your conversations, rather than creating separate ones for every chat. Here’s how to do it:
Setting a default timer
Setting a timer for a specific chat
Telegram
Telegram’s had a self-destruct timer for encryptedSecret Chatssince 2013, but only extended the feature to all conversations in February.
You can use the timer to automatically erase messages either 24 hours, seven days, or one month after they’re sent.
Here’s how:
Messenger and Instagram
Messenger and Instagram both have aVanish Mode, which automatically deletes messages after they’re seen and you leave the chat. The feature is suspiciously similar to what’s offered on Snapchat.
To turn it on, just enter a chat thread and swipe up. Your screen will go dark to signal the switch. To exist Vanish Mode, just swipe up again.
Messenger also has a separate disappearing messages option for encrypted conversations. Here’s how to set it up:
Et voila! Your messages are set to vanish into the ether. That should add extrasecurityto your sensitive information — just make sure you’re not gonna lose anything you’ll desperately need later.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
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