Having announced vanish mode alongside Facebook Messenger’s major redesign in September, the company is now rolling out the feature on Messenger and Instagram (as they are now integrated). Vanish mode, as the name suggests, is an ephemeral messaging mode that lets users send disappearing messages that are not saved in the chat history.
Messages sent through vanish mode will disappear after you’ve seen them and leave the chat. So, basically, this feature is just another Snapchat clone. Unlike Snapchat though, where the default experience is ephemeral, Facebook is pitching its vanish mode as an opt-in feature to give users even more control over the context of the conversation.
Switching to vanish mode is literally just a swipe away. You can swipe up from a private chat on Messenger and Instagram to enter vanish mode. Similarly, you can swipe up again to go back to the regular chat mode. When you’re in vanish mode, you don’t miss out on features you already have in the regular chat mode. You still have access to send text messages, images, GIFs, stickers, and even reactions.
Vanish mode has arrived in Messenger! Swipe up in a chat thread to enter. Swipe up to turn off. Some things aren’t meant to last. #vanishmode https://t.co/kq6icgAiW2 pic.twitter.com/xAFdgRB3g6
— Messenger (@messenger) November 12, 2020
Facebook is aiming to improve the privacy of users with vanish mode. Hence, it is worth keeping in mind that vanish mode will notify the other person if you take a screenshot of chats. Moreover, the company encourages users to report the conversation if they feel unsafe.
Vanish mode is now ‘slowly’ rolling out on Messenger and Instagram. You can try out the feature by updating the app from Google Play Store or App Store. As a side note, Instagram users will have to switch to the new Messenger experience to access the feature.
