Paraphrase Zoolanders, end-to-end encryption is very trendy right now. People are becoming much more cautious about the information they share through regular messaging channels, which is causing the use of tools like WhatsApp to skyrocket. What you may not know is that you can also send secret Facebook messages.
So what does it really do? According to the Facebook website, “a secret Messenger conversation is end-to-end encrypted, which means that messages are meant only for you and the other person, not for anyone else, including us.”
It’s an awfully noble undertaking, but there are a couple of drawbacks. First, you can only use one device per secret thread, which means you can’t start an encrypted conversation on your iPhone and then switch to your iPad. The second problem is to be prepared, secret conversations don’t support GIFs. If that isn’t a deal breaker, read on.
If you want to start a secret Facebook message thread from an existing conversation, tap the “i” icon in the upper right corner of the screen and select Secret Conversation from the settings menu that appears (see below). This will take you to a new black and white screen where you can safely tap without fear of prying eyes.
To start a secret Facebook message from scratch, click the new message bubble and activate it. On Android, it will be a small padlock in the upper right corner; on iOS, it’s simply the word “Secret.”
But Facebook isn’t done yet. For extra security or to pretend you’re James Bond, you can even set secret messages to “self-destruct” for a certain amount of time after they’ve been read. To do this, click on the timer icon in the bottom toolbar in a secret conversation. Times range from just five seconds to a full day.
Did someone say Snapchat?
Read ahead: How to mute a friend on Facebook?
