Read retention as a limit, not a guarantee.
- 01
Timer
Read the current timer and chat notice.
What this tells youYou know which conversation and timer behavior the notice describes.
Read when the timer begins and what it applies to in the current app. The example duration here is illustrative, not a universal setting.
- 02
Sensitivity
Avoid sending sensitive information solely because a timer is enabled.
What this tells youYour decision to send does not depend on an assumption that every copy will vanish.
Consider who receives the information and whether you would be comfortable with an independent copy. A timer cannot make an unsuitable disclosure safe.
- 03
Copies
Review what each participant can save or report.
What this tells youYou have considered copies and reporting outside the original message view.
Do not infer that a missing chat bubble means no screenshot, photograph or report exists. Avoid promising that any alert detects every way of making a copy.
What expires, and what may remain?
| Item | What to understand | What not to infer |
|---|---|---|
| Chat timer | A retention setting described by the current notice. | That all content or earlier messages share the same rule. |
| Missing bubble | The message is no longer visible in that view. | That every independent copy was erased. |
| Screenshot or photograph | A participant can create a separate record. | That the original timer controls that record. |
| Report context | A reporting flow can involve relevant content. | That disappearance prevents review or guarantees an outcome. |
The bubble disappears. A copy can remain.
A photographed screen can outlive the original message.
Message in the timed chat
A fictional harmless plan appears alongside a timer notice.
Original no longer shown
The example has a gap in the thread, while a separately saved image may still exist. The two are different records.
Make the decision before sending.
The content is sensitive
Reconsider the disclosure and agree the purpose and audience first. A short retention choice does not replace consent.
Review agreed access →You are relying on encryption
Understand which part of the exchange it protects and what remains readable at the participant’s device.
Read the protection boundaries →There is a reporting concern
Use the official flow and keep relevant context you are authorized to retain. Do not expect a timer to decide the report’s outcome.
Review reporting context →Do not build a “no trace” promise.
A retention setting changes a chat behavior. It cannot establish that nobody recorded the screen, saved information elsewhere or submitted relevant content for review.
Keep this boundary.
Do not promise that a disappearing message leaves no trace.
The illustration does not promise a particular expiry schedule or screenshot alert. Read current feature details, and assume an independent copy is possible.
References and current instructions
Go to the source.
Labels, menu placement and feature availability can change. These are original interface illustrations; use the current official explanation before changing a setting.
Find the current article for your device and account type.