Mobile (iOS and Android):
To enable disappearing messages on your mobile device, open your conversation settings by tapping the three dots in the top right of any chat. From there tap on the "disappearing messages" setting in the pop up menu.
In a one-on-one chat there are two modes of disappearing messages that a user can choose from; disappear after send and disappear after read.
When opting for "disappear after read," messages vanish for both the sender and their swarm after a set time post-sending. For the recipient, messages disappear after being read, while unread messages automatically vanish after 14 days.
With "disappear after send," messages vanish concurrently for the sender, recipient, and network a set time post-sending, regardless of whether the recipient has received or read the message.
It’s important to note your disappearing messages settings only applies to the messages you send, allowing each person in a one-on-one chat to independently customise their disappearing messages preferences. When messages disappear, they are removed from your device and the network.
In a group chat you have the ability to set the time of message expiry after sending the message. This only impacts messages you send.
Desktop:
To enable disappearing messages on desktop, click the profile icon in the top right of the screen (within a chat). From there, click on the "Disappearing Messages" setting in the menu.
Disappearing messages functionality is the same on both mobile and desktop devices.