FACEBOOK LAUNCHES VANISH MODE ON MESSENGER & INSTAGRAM

The new snapchat-inspired mode arrives on Facebook products, Vanish Mode is now being rolled out for Facebook Messenger and Instagram users. Vanish Mode is an ephemeral messaging mode for both Facebook Messenger and Instagram that will allow users to send texts, photos, voice messages, emoji, and stickers that disappear immediately once they’re viewed by other parties and the chat window is closed.

In order for the user to send vanishing messages, both the sender and the receiver will have to activate the feature. It won’t work if either of the parties have not opted in. The feature which is similar to Snapchat will enable users to send messages to a particular chat that will disappear depending on the time set by the user. Users also get notified when a receiver of the disappearing message takes a screenshot.

Some users may have already noticed Vanish Mode in the chat settings on Messenger, as the feature is still rolling out to users in USA with other markets to follow. As for Instagram, some elements of Vanish Mode are already part of the core direct messaging feature set, including disappearing photos and videos once a piece of media has been viewed. Facebook noted that the feature can be used to send memes, GIFs, stickers, or reactions “to share what you really think when you can’t find the words, or just be silly with your friends without it staying in your chat history.”

Vanish Mode is similar in ways to Messenger’s existing secret conversation mode that allows users to enter an end-to-end encrypted chat that is saved only on the users’ device, although the new mode is designed to delete anything sent forever once it has been viewed. When users enable the vanish mode and swipe up on their mobile device in an existing chat thread, they can send the disappearing messages. To get back to their regular chat, users should swipe up again.

Vanish Mode is just the latest of Facebook’s takes on the trend and as CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced last year, his company would strategically shift away from the News Feed and public posts and more toward private messaging and groups. Facebook has also announced implementing the disappearing messages feature on WhatsApp last week.

Source: theverge.com