A feature previously only available in secret chats will soon be available in all chats: disappearing messages. The Snapchat-style feature gives users a little more security of privacy around their messaging with others. There is always the potential that screenshots of your messaging may make its way to others, but that is ever-present.
Once the feature is available, to create a disappearing message a user needs to:
- Tap the clock icon on the bottom of the chat and select the disappearance period for the message.
- Type and send a message to the recipient.
The additional feature is aimed at keeping Viber travelling with the other pack leaders focussed on messaging security. They were among the first to release the ability for users to delete messages, implement end-to-end encryption and add secret chats.
While the app isn’t as popular as WhatsApp who boast 5 billion installs, 1 billion registered users and over 500 million installs is nothing to sneeze at. Continuing to grow their feature set is definitely welcomed by their existing user base and may attract new users.
The appearance of secrecy is worst than no secrecy at all! If you think a message is secret you are likely to send/say things you wouldn’t necessarily say or send. This is dangerous. A better thing is if you need the message to be secret, don’t send it!