Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has warned Messenger users that their friends will soon be able to see if they’ve make screenshots of chats.
After announcing that all Messenger chats can be encrypted, just like WhatsApp, Zuckerberg said in a post that people need to be careful if they’re taking screencaps while Disappearing Messages are activated.
These are texts that vanish automatically and can be activated in your Messenger settings. However, if you or a friend take a screenshot of a disappearing text chat, the other person will now be informed with a notification.
This means a copy of your chat will exist even if the messages have disappeared in the app.
Mark Zuckerberg is the CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook) (Image: Getty Images)
“New update for end-to-end encrypted Messenger chats so you get a notification if someone screenshots a disappearing message,” Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook profile.
“We’re also adding GIFs, stickers, and reactions to encrypted chats too.”
He then shared an exchange with his long-term wife and partner, Priscilla Chan. Zuckerberg makes a cheesy joke about a supercomputer, and Priscilla takes a screenshot, demonstrating how the notification will work in action once disappearing messages are activated.
The feature is similar to a long-standing tool in Snapchat where your messages and pictures disappear after a set period of time.
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How do I turn on disappearing messages on Facebook Messenger?
It’s easy to turn on disappearing messages, known as ‘Vanish Mode’, in Facebook Messenger. This will delete your messages automatically after the recipient reads them.
- Open a chat with someone in Messenger
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen. You’ll get a notification telling you to swipe for Vanish Mode
- Keep swiping up until the blue circle is filled.
Vanish Mode will now be activated. Just make sure to keep an eye out for that notification about your messages being screenshotted.
