Facebook have started testing timed messages that will delete themselves after an hour. Currently the feature is available to only some users in France.
A Facebook spokesman stated:
“We’re excited to announce the latest in an engaging line of optional product features geared towards making Messenger the best way to communicate with the people that matter most,” wrote a Facebook spokeswoman in a statement. “Starting today, we’re conducting a small test in France of a feature that allows people to send messages that disappear an hour after they’re sent. Disappearing messages gives people another fun option to choose from when they communicate on Messenger. We look forward to hearing people’s feedback as they give it a try.”
The feature can be turned on and off by tapping the hourglass, which will appear in the top right hand corner of the app during a conversation.
Here is what conversations will look like after turning on the ephemeral feature.
Facebook Messenger’s new feature is reminiscent of Snapchat’s popular ephemeral methods. Facbook tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion in 2012, after failing to do so Facebook attempted to create rivalling apps to capitalise on the popularity of transitory image sharing and messaging. Poke was Facebook’s version of Snapchat allowing users to do exactly what Snapchatters enjoy. There was also Slingshot that demanded users to send a picture to view messages.
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Via Windows Central.
