Instagram is working on Snapchat-style disappearing messages

The disappearing messages on Snapchat have been one of the most-loved features on the app. Instagram is finally following cue and working on something similar.

The disappearing messages on Snapchat have been one of the most-loved features on the app. Instagram is finally following cue and working on something similar. (Picjumbo)

Instagram is working to copy one of Snapchat's most popular features, one that it hasn't cloned yet - the disappearing message. According to reports, Instagram has prototyped an "unreleased ephemeral text messaging feature" that clears the chat thread on Insta messages when you leave it.

Confirmed by a Facebook spokesperson, this feature will let users get more comfortable with "having rapid-fire, silly, vulnerable or risque chats, thereby driving up the reply notification that keep people opening instagram all day long".  

Instagram is working on "🙊 mode" where messages disappear

It seems to be in an early barebone version but I tried my best to demonstrate how it might work pic.twitter.com/ZrUZZj0TWo

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) March 19, 2020

However, this feature is conceptually not new for Instagram. They already had a disappearing photo and video message option (launched in February 2018) that allowed users to choose if those they are chatting with can "view once", "allow replay" multiple times for a limited period, or "keep in chat" permanently.

You could use the 'Create' mode to overlay words on coloured backgrounds to send an ephemeral text, otherwise you would have to use the "Unsend" feature that would notify people on the thread.

Unearthed by Jane Manchun Wong, the buried code in the Android app is the new mode, labeled in the code with the "speak-no-evil" monkey emoji, which will get you the disappearing messages on Instagram.

How these disappearing messages on Instagram will work

On this mode, users will have to enter by swiping up from the Instagram Direct message thread. This will open a dark mode messaging window that starts as an empty message thread. When you are done chatting on this and close the window, all messages will disappear.

This works similar to how it does on Snapchat which clears a chat after all members of a thrwad have viewed it and have closed the chat window.

The ephemeral messaging feature is not currently not publicly available but a Facebook spokesperson confirmed that they are working on it internally.

We're always exploring new features to improve your messaging experience. This feature is still in early development and not testing externally just yet!

— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) March 19, 2020

Facebook has given no indication of a timeline or when this might officially launch. While some features never make it out of the prototype phase, but others, including many spotted by Wong, have ended up being rolled out several months later.

We sincerely hope this one does.