Ever used disappearing ink to write letters to your friends so you never have to worry near your secret getting out? That's what Facebook Messenger's self-destructing letters do for the texts and photos or videos you send from your device.

Also known as ephemeral messaging, these messages ensure that any content you send is erased within minutes or seconds of consumption. This happens on both devices, plus on the organization servers without storing lasting records of the conversation.

Multiple technologies like encryption and potent password walls are used together to send, lawmaking, receive and destroy texts, photos or videos and other attachments.

Self-destructing messages are bonny and popular, particularly with the younger generation, but, adults use them for their personal privacy. Other positive use cases include whistleblowing, or communicating about sensitive matters similar disciplinary or criminal issues.

You can also use them to keep snoops from reading messages they shouldn't or during emotionally charged moments similar spousal arguments when it's easy to send harsh texts that can be used against you.

Nothing prevents the recipient from taking a screenshot or external copy of your screen while viewing the message though, then there's no guarantee that the message hasn't been recorded, but y'all practise get close to 100 percent privacy.

How Facebook Messenger'south Self-Destructing Messages Piece of work

Facebook Messenger app has the Underground Conversations feature that lets you lot send private letters to one person while protecting your privacy with special encryption.

The encryption is designed to protect the message so only you and your recipient can view or play information technology – non even Facebook can admission it. You can as well add together a timer or expiration to the message so information technology can self-destruct inside the fourth dimension you specified later your recipient sees it.

All the secret conversations appear with a padlock icon side by side to the contact's profile icon in your message list. The spoken language bubbles are blackness in color, not the usual blue for ordinary Facebook chats, and you can first 1 in a new chat or an existing 1.

However, if the person isn't your Facebook friend or Facebook doesn't call up you lot know the contact, your secret message volition be sent to their Message Requests or appear like spam under Filtered Messages. The messages won't be deleted only are kept in the subconscious mailbox.

Set Up Self-Destructing Messages in Messenger

Secret conversations can only be created in the Messenger app for Android and iOS, so you won't find them on messenger.com or Facebook conversation. They're likewise not available in Facebook Messenger Lite app.

Furthermore, you tin just access the conversations on the devices you create them from. For case, y'all can't start a secret chat on your iPhone and then go along with the chat on your iPad.

However, you can add a different device to send the message, but you won't see previous messages on it. The other person will exist notified about it, but simply new messages in existing conversations volition appear on all devices.

The process of creating secret conversations varies slightly depending on whether your device is Android or iOS. We're going to look at the instructions for each individually.

Android

Before sending a secret conversation, make sure y'all have installed the latest version of the Facebook Messenger app on your telephone or tablet. If you don't see the disappearing conversations option, download the latest version from Google Play Store.

Open Messenger to become to Chats

Tap the pencil icon at the upper right side of the screen

Tap the padlock icon

Select the person y'all'd like to bulletin

You can tap the timer icon in the text box that appears and set a fourth dimension or expiration (e.g. 5 seconds, x seconds) inside which the bulletin disappears one time the recipient has consumed it

Your secret conversation will be blurred and a message will appear (in scarlet) at the bottom showing the expiration (in seconds)

iOS (iPhone or iPad)

Open Messenger app to go to Chats

Tap the pencil icon at the top correct side of your screen

Tap Underground

Select the person you want to message

If y'all want to set an expiration for the bulletin, tap the timer icon and set the timer make the messages disappear

Your undercover conversation volition be blurred and a message will announced (in ruby-red) at the lesser showing the expiration (in seconds)

Verifying Underground Conversations on Facebook Messenger

You lot can verify all encrypted undercover conversations past comparing their device keys. Both you and your bulletin recipient will get device keys so you can compare and run into if they lucifer.

Open a cloak-and-dagger conversation and tap the contact's name

Tap Your Keys

Compare your device key with that of your contact's proper name to ensure they lucifer.

How to Delete Secret Conversations

Android

Open Messenger app and tap your contour picture at the upper right corner. Gyre downwardly and tap Secret Conversations.

Next, tap Delete All Hush-hush Conversations

Tap Delete

iOS

Open up Messenger, and so tap Chats, and and then tap your profile photo at the upper left corner.

Gyre down and tap Secret Conversations. Tap Delete All Secret Conversations and tap Delete.

How to Delete Ane Secret Conversation

If you want to delete a single conversation, tap on the contact's name. The main chat screen will appear. Tap on the proper name again (just under the words Undercover Conversation)

Note: Y'all can delete secret conversations but from your device, not from your recipient'south device.

The downside to Facebook's secret conversations is information technology's but designed for one-to-one conversations, not groups. It also can't be used to ship payments.