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Does the other person know if you turn on disappearing messages?

No, when you turn on disappearing messages in apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal, the other person is not notified. Disappearing messages, also known as self-destructing or ephemeral messages, are a privacy feature that makes messages disappear or self-destruct after a set period of time.

When you enable disappearing messages, it only affects your view of the conversation. The messages will disappear from your phone after the timer runs out, but not from the recipient’s phone. So your messages will still be visible to the other person until they also enable disappearing messages.

Some key things to know about disappearing messages:

  • It’s an opt-in feature – it’s off by default, you have to actively turn it on
  • The timer can range from a few seconds to a week depending on the app
  • It only affects newly sent messages after it’s enabled
  • The preview text might still show up in notifications until opened
  • Disappearing messages can be turned on for individual chats or as a default for all chats
  • Media will disappear along with text, but might be saved if already viewed
  • You can see if someone took a screenshot of a disappearing message

So in summary, no notification is sent when you turn on disappearing messages. The other users in the conversation do not receive any kind of alert. Your messages will simply appear to vanish on your end after the designated timeframe.

When Do Disappearing Messages Work?

Disappearing messages only work when both sides of the conversation have enabled the feature. Here is a more detailed breakdown of how it works between users:

  • If you enable disappearing messages, your messages will disappear from your view after the set time, but will still be visible to recipients who have not enabled disappearing messages on their end.
  • If the recipient has also turned on disappearing messages, your messages will disappear from both ends after the timeframe.
  • For group chats, the disappearing messages feature only applies to users who have enabled it. So your messages may still be visible to some members of the group if they have not turned it on.
  • Disappearing messages are not retroactive. Any messages sent or received before the feature is enabled will remain in the conversation.
  • If a user disables disappearing messages again, the messages from the period it was enabled will remain disappeared.

So for disappearing messages to work properly where messages disappear from both (or all) ends of the conversation, it needs to be enabled by everyone in the chat. The key takeaway is that turning it on does not notify or automatically enable the feature for other users.

How Long Do Messages Stay Before Disappearing?

The amount of time before a message disappears depends on the app and the user’s choice of timer. Here are some common timeframes that can be set:

  • WhatsApp: 24 hours, 7 days, 90 days
  • Telegram: 2 days, 7 days
  • Signal: 5 seconds, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year
  • Facebook Messenger: 5 seconds, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, 24 hours
  • Instagram: 24 hours
  • Snapchat: Default is when opened, but can be as short as 1-10 seconds

For the most part, options range from a very short timeframe like seconds or minutes, up to 24 hours, 7 days, or 1 month. Some apps allow custom “self-destruct” times as well.

So you can choose a timer that meets your needs – a shorter duration if you want messages to disappear quickly, or a longer timeframe if you don’t mind them sticking around a little longer before they vanish.

Again, this timer only affects your view. Recipients will see messages disappear based on their own timer settings.

Are Disappearing Messages Secure?

While disappearing messages offer some benefits for privacy, they have limitations in terms of security:

  • Screenshots – Recipients can still take screenshots of messages before they disappear, which you may be notified about depending on the app.
  • Backups – Messages may be backed up to the cloud before they disappear from your device.
  • Forwarding – Recipients can forward or copy/paste messages before the timer runs out.
  • Preview text – Message previews may appear in notifications and remain there even after disappearing from your chat screen.
  • Linked devices – Disappearing messages sync across your linked devices, so messages could still be visible on other devices.

While not completely foolproof, disappearing messages add a layer of privacy by making conversations ephemeral. Combined with end-to-end encryption that apps like Signal and WhatsApp provide, they limit the digital footprint left by your messages. But for truly sensitive communications, additional precautions may be warranted.

Should You Use Disappearing Messages for Work?

Here are some pros and cons of using disappearing messages for work communications:

Potential Pros

  • Reduces clutter in work chats
  • Limits distractions if messages disappear quickly
  • Keeps conversations focused on the most recent, relevant messages
  • Prevents work messages from permanently remaining on your device
  • Encourages colleagues to get straight to the point

Potential Cons

  • Useful information could disappear before being acted on
  • Employees may miss important details if not paying close attention
  • Makes referencing older messages harder
  • Compliance issues if work communications are not retained
  • Not all colleagues may have disappearing messages enabled

Overall, disappearing messages likely work best for quick, real-time work discussions where permanence is not required. They may not be ideal as the sole communication method for important business matters. Companies should provide clear guidance on if and how employees may use disappearing messages for work.

How to Enable Disappearing Messages on Common Apps

Here are instructions for turning on disappearing messages in some popular messaging apps:

WhatsApp

  1. Open the WhatsApp chat
  2. Tap the contact’s name at the top
  3. Tap Disappearing messages
  4. Select a duration for messages to disappear after
  5. Tap OK to confirm

Telegram

  1. Open the Telegram chat
  2. Tap the contact’s name at the top
  3. Tap Disappearing messages
  4. Choose a duration like 2 days or 7 days

Signal

  1. Open a Signal chat
  2. Tap the contact’s name at the top
  3. Enable Disappearing messages
  4. Select a duration like 5 seconds, 1 week, etc.

Facebook Messenger

  1. Open the Messenger chat
  2. Tap contact’s name at the top
  3. Tap Disappearing mode
  4. Choose a duration for messages to disappear

So in summary, open a chat, tap the contact’s name, find the disappearing messages setting, and choose a timer – simple as that! Just remember it only affects your view unless recipients also have the feature enabled.

The Bottom Line

Disappearing or ephemeral messages:

  • Are an opt-in privacy feature that makes messages vanish after a set timeframe
  • The other person is not automatically notified or enabled when you turn it on
  • Work both ways when enabled by all users in a chat
  • Timeframes before messages disappear range from seconds to a month depending on app
  • Aren’t completely secure since screenshots and forwarding is possible
  • Can be useful for work if colleagues enable uniformly and policies permit
  • Are easy to enable in most messaging apps via contact/group settings

So in closing, no the other person is not alerted when you enable disappearing messages. Their experience will not change until they also decide to enable disappearing messages themselves. Use the feature wisely depending on your privacy needs, and be aware it does not guarantee truly ephemeral conversations without precautions against screenshots and backups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do deleted messages come back?

No, messages that have disappeared after the timer runs out do not come back or reappear in the conversation. Once a disappearing message is gone, it’s gone for good from your view of the chat. However, it’s still possible the recipient could have saved it via screenshot, backup, or other methods before it disappeared.

Can you see if someone screenshots your disappearing message?

Some apps like Snapchat and Instagram notify you if a recipient takes a screenshot of your disappearing message before it vanishes. WhatsApp plans to add this capability soon. However, other apps may not have screenshot detection, so there’s no guarantee you’ll know if someone captured your message.

Do disappearing messages work in group chats?

Yes, they can work in group chats, but only for the users who have enabled disappearing messages. If you turn it on, your messages will vanish from your view after the timer, but may still be visible to group members who don’t have the feature enabled themselves. So for full group coverage, everyone would need to turn on disappearing messages.

What happens if you delete a chat with disappearing messages on?

If you delete a chat while disappearing messages are enabled, the messages will be gone for good just as if you deleted a regular chat. Any messages that had yet to disappear will be immediately deleted. However, recipients may still see the messages on their end if they haven’t deleted the chat.

Can the police or court subpoena disappeared messages?

While unlikely, it is technically possible law enforcement could legally compel a messaging provider to retrieve message data including disappeared messages that were previously stored on their servers. However, this would require a subpoena or warrant. Any recovered messages could only come from the provider, not directly from a user’s device or app.

Comparison of Disappearing Message Features

App Timer Options Screenshot Detection
WhatsApp 24 hours, 7 days, 90 days Planned
Telegram 2 days, 7 days No
Signal 5 sec – 1 year No
Facebook Messenger 5 sec – 24 hours No
Snapchat 1-10 sec default Yes
Instagram 24 hours Yes

This table compares the available timer durations and screenshot detection features for disappearing messages across common messaging apps. As you can see, options vary from very fleeting messages lasting just seconds to longer timeframes of days or weeks before messages vanish.

Conclusion

To conclude, turning on disappearing messages in messaging apps does not trigger any notification or warning to recipients. It is an opt-in privacy feature that only affects your view of the conversation until others also enable it themselves. While not completely secure, disappearing messages can provide some level of ephemeral messaging if you select and use the feature mindfully based on your specific needs. Be aware that many apps allow recipients to screenshot, forward, or otherwise save messages before they disappear. Overall, enable at your own discretion for conversations where you want limited persistence of sensitive information.