Disappearing Messages: When and How to Use Them

Not everything needs to be kept forever. Disappearing messages delete themselves after a set time.

#How to turn them on

1. Open the chat. 2. Tap **⋮ (More) › Disappearing messages**. 3. Choose **30 seconds**, **5 minutes**, **1 hour**, **1 day**, **1 week** or **30 days** — or **Off**.

Everyone in the chat sees a notice that the timer changed. Messages sent after that point disappear for everyone when the timer runs out.

#What happens to disappearing messages

- They're **deleted from the chat** for all participants when the time is up. - They're **never copied into Yapie's recovery vault** — the sender's choice is respected, so support can't restore them. - Combine them with **secret chats** for end-to-end encryption plus automatic deletion.

#What they don't protect against

- **Screenshots and photos** of the screen. - **Forwarding or copying** text before it disappears. - A recipient you don't trust — if it would hurt you to see it again, don't send it.

#Good uses

- Sharing a Wi-Fi password, door code or address temporarily. - Personal conversations you'd rather not keep. - Sensitive work details that shouldn't linger on many phones.

#Less good uses

- Anything you might need as proof later — agreements, payments, approvals. Use normal messages (and Yapie Work approvals) for those.

#Related

- [View-once photos and videos](/blog/view-once-photos) - [When to use secret chats](/blog/secret-chats-when-to-use)

#Frequently asked questions

Can disappearing messages be recovered?

No. They're deleted for everyone and are never stored in Yapie's recovery vault.

Do disappearing messages affect older messages?

No. Only messages sent after you turn the timer on will disappear.

Can the other person screenshot disappearing messages?

Yes. Disappearing messages limit how long messages stay in the chat, but can't stop screenshots.