Disappearing messages give you more privacy by automatically removing messages from a chat after a set period. This feature is useful for sensitive conversations that don't need to stay in your chat history.
How disappearing messages work
When you enable disappearing messages for a chat:
- New messages sent after the setting is turned on will automatically disappear after the chosen duration.
- Messages sent before the setting was enabled are not affected.
- Both you and the other participant can see when disappearing messages are active.
Enabling disappearing messages
- Open a chat.
- Tap the contact's name or the chat settings icon.
- Tap
Disappearing Messages. - Choose a duration from the available options, or turn the feature off.
You can change the duration or turn off disappearing messages at any time. The available durations are shown in the app.
Who can change the setting
Either participant in a one-on-one chat can enable, change, or disable disappearing messages. The other participant will see a notice in the chat when the setting changes.
What disappearing messages do NOT do
- They do not prevent someone from taking a screenshot of your message.
- They do not prevent someone from saving or sharing your message before it disappears.
- They do not delete messages from other participants' devices before the timer runs out.
Use disappearing messages together with general privacy practices: only share sensitive information with people you trust.