Disappearing Text Messages App

You are looking for the best, most reliable, and secure disappearing text messages app to download to your iOS or Android device? If so, this detailed guide which explores the best encrypted instant messaging apps out there will help you decide. As suggested, disappearing text messages are private messages you send to friends, family members, or your online friend that disappear or vanish once a predetermined expiration date comes.

Nowadays, you can easily get a disappearing text messages app from the Google Play Store or the App Store. While there are many apps of this kind at our disposal, not all of them deserve your attention as not all of them provide the same features and the same level of online protection. One of the biggest benefits of turning to a disappearing text message app is greater internet safety and data privacy. Other benefits include being able to communicate online more freely without worrying about your confidential data being accessed by third parties, your cellular provider, government, or hackers.

Those apps that let you send disappearing text messages, self destruct files, videos, and images are basically encrypted instant messaging apps that are powered by end-to-end encryption technologies. When service of this kind employs the best, state-of-the-art encryption technology, you can rest assured your private data remains safe as it travels from your texting device to your recipient’s desktop device or mobile device. The entire process of transmission is encrypted, so no one except the person with the required encryption key can access and view your private messages.

Find Your Disappearing Text Messages App

Thanks to the advent of the internet which significantly changed the way we communicate with each other, there are almost no boundaries to online communication technologies, services, and apps. No matter which instant messaging app you use, you send text messages, images, files, and video in real-time to anyone who is connected to the internet and has a device to receive that message.

While there are many different options out there to choose from, not all instant messaging apps let you send private, encrypted, self destruct, and disappearing text messages. In other words, not all services of this kind are powered by the best end-to-end encryption and this is the best technology we have at our disposal today to boost our internet and data privacy when communicating online.

This leads us to different instant messaging services. The best disappearing text messages app for Android and iOS devices will use encryption technologies. The most secure instant messaging apps will also let you share self destruct images, videos, and files. The most secure instant messaging apps are not short on other great features such as disappearing messages expiration timers you set, optional password features, and more you get to use to further protect your confidential data.

While millions of people use SMS messaging which has been around for quite some time, your SMS messages are not encrypted in any way. This means that anyone who knows how can intercept, view, and store your private SMS messages. The only exception to this rule is using Apple Inc.’s iMessage instant messaging service. When you communicate using Instagram and Twitter, your private messages are not encrypted. This is not the case when using a disappearing text messages app that employs the best end-to-end encryption such as those mentioned further.

Telegram Messenger

When discussing a greatly reliable, easy to use, and safe disappearing text messages app you can download for free to your iOS or Android device, we have to mention Telegram Messenger. Just like other services of this kind with encrypted instant messaging options, Telegram connects you to anyone out there in the world with its powerful, end-to-end encrypted centers and servers that do not store your personal data but only make sure that your messages safely reach the recipient.

The Telegram instant messaging service was developed by Telegram FZ LLC and Telegram Messenger Inc. back in August of 2013. In its essence, Telegram is a cloud-based, cross-platform, instant messaging service that lets you make encrypted video calls, send encrypted text messages, as well as share encrypted images, videos, and other files. In addition to being available to iOS and Android users, Telegram messenger can also be downloaded to Linux and Windows-powered desktop devices.

As estimated in January of 2021, Telegram Messenger has over 500 million regular users who have recognized the importance of staying safe when communicating online. In addition to many different features, one of the best provided by Telegram Messenger is being able to send self destructing or disappearing text messages.

Telegram Disappearing Text Messages App for iOS Devices

  • To send a disappearing text message using Telegram:
  • Get the Telegram Messenger app from the App Store
  • Use the Secret Chat option to send a disappearing text message
  • Open the Telegram Messenger app and select one of your conversations
  • Click on the profile name and select the More button
  • Press on the Start Secret Chat button
  • Confirm the selection and the Secret Chat mode is one
  • Set an expiration date for your disappearing message
  • Click on the Stopwatch icon
  • Set the expiration date anywhere between one second and one week
  • Click on the Done button and compose your message
  • You can include self destruct videos, photos, and GIFs as well

Telegram Disappearing Text Messages App for Android Devices

If you want to use this disappearing text messages app on your Android device, starting a Secret Chat is different. To send a disappearing text message using the Telegram Messenger app of your Android device:

  • Download the Telegram Messenger app from the Google Play Store
  • Open the app on your Android device
  • Head to the chat where you want to send a disappearing text message
  • Click on the contact’s name and press on the three-dot icon
  • Select the Start Secret Chat option from the menu
  • Confirm the selection by pressing Start
  • From here, click on the stopwatch icon to set the self destructing time frame
  • Once you have composed your message, press Send

As previously mentioned, with the Telegram Messenger app downloaded to your Android or iOS device, you can send disappearing videos and photos to any of your Telegram contacts. It should be noted that these options only work for one-on-one communication which means you cannot send self destruct videos, images, or files to your group chats.

Disappearing Messages on iPhone

You are looking for the best service or app for sending disappearing messages on your iPhone? If so, you are in the right place as here we explore several great options for boosting your internet privacy while communicating online with friends, family members, or your online friends. Before we get to the best apps for sending disappearing messages on iPhone, it is important to mention that using services such as Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter does not fully protect your personal data you share online.

In other words, these do not use technologically-advanced encryption technology. In other words, when you communicate online using these options, your private conversations as not as secure as when using apps and services that employ encryption technologies such as those we explore here. Either way, the instant messaging apps we have at our disposal today make it super easy and convenient to connect with people from all over the globe and communicate.

With amazing new technologies including encryption technology, there are many great apps for sending disappearing messages on iPhone which protect your internet and data safety at all times. When you turn to standard instant messaging options, your confidential, sensitive data you share online could be red by governments, hackers, third parties, and other organizations. However, when you use encrypted instant messaging apps and there are many out there that work for iOS devices, all of your conversations, shared files, and everything else are safe and well protected.

Before You Send Disappearing Messages on iPhone

While there are many great, reliable, and safe apps for sending disappearing messages on iPhone, not all of these apps are crafted the same way, so they have different features you should look into before you get an app and start messaging. The most important feature of encrypted instant messaging services is their end-to-end encryption.

All of the best instant messaging apps out there for iOS-powered devices are powered by this technology so always make sure you pick an app that is powered this way. You also want your instant messaging app to let you send disappearing messages on iPhone to allow you to send encrypted videos, as well as voice messages, and file in addition to encrypted text messages.

It is also a good idea to pick an encrypted instant messaging app that works for both iOS-powered devices and desktop devices. To make it easier for you, we have compiled a list of great encrypted instant messaging apps for iPhone. No matter which app you pick from our list, you can rest assured that it will protect your private, sensitive data the right way, so you can communicate online without any worries.

iMessage

When discussing the best apps for sending disappearing messages on iPhone, we have to mention iMessage which is a great instant messaging service only available on iOS-powered devices launched by the Apple Inc. company back in 2011. In addition to working on iOS-powered smartphones, iMessage also works on other Apple platforms including watchOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Some of the basic iMessage features include sending text messages, sending files, videos, and images. With iMessage, you can also send your location as well as stickers, and read recipients. The most important feature of this Apple instant messaging service is its end-to-end encryption. In other words, every message you send using this service is always one hundred percent encrypted and this also applies to your FaceTime calls. In other words, your messages sent using iMessage cannot be intercepted by anyone as they travel from you to the recipient.

So, if you are looking for the best app for sending disappearing messages on your iPhone, iMessage is a great option. It also should be noted that Apple does not store your FaceTime calls on its serves and the same applies to self destructing or disappearing messages. To send a disappearing message on your iPhone:

  • Download the iMessage App to your iPhone
  • You need the latest version of the iMessage app
  • Make sure you turn on disappearing messages on
  • Set an expiration date for your messages
  • Send the message

Signal

In addition to iMessage that works for all Apple devices including iOS-powered smartphones, another great app for sending disappearing messages on iPhone is Signal Private Messenger. Launched by Signal Technology Foundation and Signal Messenger LLC alongside several other contributors, Signal Private Messenger is a great, reliable encrypted instant messaging service. Signal was launched back in2016 and it works for both Android and iOS-powered devices.

With Signal, you can send self destructing, encrypted messages to one or a group of people just like with iMessage. Besides, with Signal, you can also send encrypted videos and images, as well as voice notes. The service can be also used for making video and voice calls. To use the service, you need to provide your telephone number which is a common practice. All Signal messages and private conversations are protected and secured with the best end-to-end encryption so you can rest assured that your private data stays safe and secure.

Like other apps for sending disappearing messages on iPhone such as WhatsApp, Viber, and others, you get the Signal app for free from the App Store. As estimated in January of 2012, the app was downloaded over 105 million times while Signal is used by over 40 million people across the globe on a regular basis.

This does not come as a surprise considering Signal is one of the most secure instant messaging apps out there with a bunch of great features. One of the best Signal features relates to sending self destructing, disappearing messages. To send a disappearing message using Signal on your iPhone:

  • Get the Signal Private Messenger app on your iPhone
  • Open the Signal app and go to your chats
  • Select the person you want to send a disappearing message to
  • Click on the Chat Settings button
  • Enable Disappearing Messages
  • Set your disappearing message time from five seconds to one week
  • Return to your chat
  • Compose your message and press the Send button
  • If you want to change the timer, go to Chat Settings
  • Press on the Select a New Time button
  • To disable the option, go to Chat Settings

Email That Self Destructs

You communicate using email quite often, is so the next time you communicate this way consider sending an email that self destructs. Before we explore different options for sending emails that disappear or self destruct after a certain time period or after the intended recipient views your email, let’s examine the history of email messages to see how this technology has evolved over the years.

Nowadays, it is hard to imagine not being able to send text messages, images, or files instantly to anyone on the Internet whenever we want. Needless to say, this would not be possible without the internet and amazing technological advancements. Back in the late 1950s, computer science was one of the major emerging disciplines. At the time, experts in the field started to work on file-sharing options between two or more users.

Several years later in the 1960s, the very first Internet prototype was developed. Since this is one of the greatest technological advancements in modern history, the invention of the internet came as a result of years of hard work done by dozens of scientists, engineers, programmers, and other experts. In other words, the internet we cannot imagine our lives with was the magnificent work of amazing people who developed new technologies and features which merged for the internet to be born.

The History of the Internet

Many decades before it was possible to send an email that self destructs, text message, file, or something else we share with other online, people communicated using different means including fax machines, telephones, and much older pony expresses, carrier pigeons, and smoke signals. If the digital world or the internet does not exist, modern communication options would not be possible either

Many years before the technology required for the internet was available or even existed, many experts and scientists including Nikola Tesla thought about creating a world wireless system. It had to pass many years from these ideas to the first internet prototype in the late 1960s. The first internet prototype thanks to which we now can easily send an email that self destructs was fueled by the ARPANET creation that allowed the communication between two or more computers connected to a single network.

Then in October of 1969, the very first “online” message was sent between a computer at UCLA and a computer at Stanford. In the 1970s, scientists continued to work on new technologies including Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn. The two worked on developing Internet and Transmission Control protocols which will later become standards in data transmission.

With the invention of the World Wide Web back in 1990, the digital world started to look like what we know today. The invention of the World Wide Web fueled the growing popularity of the internet. The introduction of the internet significantly changed our communication options and this also includes email technologies which now allow you to send an email that self destructs any time and any place to anyone on the internet.

What Existed Before an Email That Self Destructs

Email (Electronic Mail) is one of the most popular online communication forms that allow people scattered all over the globe to communicate in real-time. Email technology was first used back in the 1960 but at the time only people using the same computer were able to communicate this way. Many years before it was possible to send an email that self destructs, early email technologies allowed two people to communicate using email only when both of them are online at the same time.

Back in 1971, the inventor of email Ray Tomlinson developed the very first email system thanks to which it was possible for two people to communicate via email on the ARPANET on different hosts. Thanks to the amazing technological advancements fueled by the invention of the World Wide Web, email communication has become one of the major online communication channels today alongside instant messaging apps and SMS messaging.

The Technology Behind an Email That Self Destructs

Nowadays, we use email communication for many different purposes such as communicating with friends and family members. The emerging email technologies have also changed the way how companies communicate with each other. Today, we use email to apply for jobs, to request some kind of information, as well as communicate with work colleagues, professors, and others.

Whether you send an email that self destructs or a standard email, the technology powering this form of online communication allows real-time data and information exchange, removes all sorts of barriers due to distance, as well as keeps online communication free. While communicating via email is generally safe no matter where your email travels, to make sure that every single email you send cannot be intercepted or viewed by anyone who is not the intended recipient, we also recommend sending an email that self destructs over sending a standard email.

An email that self destructs also called a self destructing email is a mail just like any other email you send but it disappears after a predetermined length of time. Depending on your preferences, you can also send an email that self destructs and make it disappear on your request. Just like other similar options out there such as self destructing videos and self destructing text messages, an email that self destructs is empowered with the best end-to-end encryption technology.

This amazing technology scrambles or encrypts the content of your self destructing emails so that it becomes unreadable to everyone except the intended recipient of your email. In other words, when you send an email that self destructs, you can rest assured that the content of your email including files and everything else you share remains secured and private as it travels from you to the recipient. Once a self destructing email is destroyed, it cannot be retrieved again. To send an email that self destructs with Gmail:

  • Open the Gmail App on your mobile device
  • Or open Gmail on your desktop computer
  • Click on the Compose button
  • Click on the small icon that shows a clock with a lock
  • Set the expiration time between one day and five years
  • Click on the Save button and send your email

Disappearing Text Messages Android

Here, we explore some of the best disappearing text messages Android apps that you can download to your smartphone or Android-powered tablet right away. The eliminate the great risk of your personal, sensitive, confidential data being accessed, viewed, and potentially stored by third-parties, hackers, or anyone else who is not the intended recipient, you turn to encrypted, disappearing text messages Android apps, and fortunately, all of the major instant messaging services offer their customers this great option.

One of the major features of every good encrypted instant messaging service is their disappearing messages feature that both Android and iOS users can benefit from. However, here we focus on those apps that work for Android users so there will be no mention of iMessage that works only on iOS-powered devices. In other words, if you use an Android-powered smartphone or tablet, this is the article for you.

All of the best, more reliable disappearing text messages Android apps out there let you send encrypted, private text messages, voice or video files, as well as images that are scrambled in a way nobody except the person with the required encryption key can access and view them. When using such services, you can also rest assured that no metadata is viewed and stored by these service providers which is yet another great benefit.

The Best Disappearing Text Messages Android Apps

You are interested in learning more about the very best disappearing text messages Android apps that use the best encryption technology to make sure your confidential data stays private and secured? If so, keep reading this guide is what you are looking for to boost your internet safety when communicating online.

Even though you may think that all of the sensitive data you share with friends and family members using Snapchat, Skype, and other popular instant messaging options is safe, this is not always the case. For this reason, the best route to take is to turn to several other reliable encrypted messaging services out there to keep your confidential data as secure as possible and if you are using an Android device, you have plenty of great options to choose from, so let’s get started.

WhatsApp Disappearing Text Messages Android App

One of the best disappearing text messages Android apps is definitely WhatsApp. WhatsApp was released back in February of 2009 by WhatsApp Inc. However, the application was acquired by Facebook Inc. back in 2014. Just like similar instant messaging services out there, WhatsApps allows customers to share voice messages, as well as instant text messages, photos, send files and make both video and voice calls.

WhatsApp can be downloaded to Android devices from the Google Play Store while it also supports iOS devices. There is also the WhatsApp web-based service that works great across Windows-powered laptops and desktop computers. To use its disappearing text messages Android app, users need to provide their active telephone number and this is also the case with the vast majority of other services of this kind.

As one of the most used, most popular instant messaging services out there, WhatsApp has a massive loyal base with over two billion users as estimated in 2015. This number is bigger today. To get started with WhatsApp, download the app from the Google Play Store for free and make free calls, send disappearing text messages, send photos and videos, and make video calls without any cost. To turn on WhatsApp disappearing text messages Android:

  • Download WhatsApp to your Android device
  • Open your WhatsApp chat and select one of your contacts
  • Select the Disappearing Messages option
  • Click on the Continue button and choose On

Viber

When discussing the very best disappearing text messages Android apps, we have to mention Viber that alongside WhatsApp is the most used service of this kind. Viber was launched back in 2010 by Rakuten Viber that operates as a part of the Rakuten Inc. company based in Setagaya, Japan. Viber is also available for Android and iOS-powered devices as well as for Windows-powered desktop computers.

Just like WhatsApp, Viber runs on a freemium model which means you can get its instant messaging app for free from the Google Play Store if you use an Android-powered device. To use the service, you need to provide your telephone number. Viber allows you to exchange photos, videos, files, as well as make video calls. As estimated back in 2018, the service had over one billion active users scattered all over the globe. Since the service employs the very best end-to-end encryption, we have to include it here in our disappearing text messages Android guide. Lastly, to turn disappearing messages on Viber:

  • Download the Viber app on your Android device
  • Open the app, open your Viber chat
  • Select the clock icon located at the bottom
  • Choose the disappearance period
  • Compose your message and press Send

LINE

Very similar to WhatsApp and Viber, LINE also deserves its spot here in our disappearing text messages Android guide. Available for free, LINE was released back in 2011 by LINE Corporation. Just like the two previously mentioned instant messaging services, LINE can be downloaded to Android, iOS, and Windows-powered desktop devices. In addition to its reliable instant messaging services, LINE is known for its LINE Pay digital wallet, LINE Today news stream, and LINE Webtoon and LINE Manga comics distribution.

LINE is one of the most popular instant messaging services in South Korea. Back in 2011 when the service was launched, it had over 100 million active users. This number has grown massively in three years of its existence to reach over 560 million users. As estimated in February of 2015, LINE had 700 million users. To send encrypted, self destructing, or disappearing messages using LINE:

  • Download the LINE app to your Android device
  • Open your LINE chat
  • Select the Hidden Chat option from the main menu
  • Compose your message as usual
  • Click on The Timer button
  • Set The Timer to two, five, ten seconds, one minute, one hour, one day, or one week
  • You can include contact info, location info, and images
  • Press the Send button
  • Once the recipient has viewed your message, it is removed

Encrypted Messaging

Today, internet users across the globe have many different, reliable, and easy to use encrypted messaging services and tools at their disposal. As suggested, encrypted messaging technologies used by instant messaging services ensure complete internet security and privacy at all times. In its essence, the brands that provide these services employ end-to-end encryption technologies that prevent your internet provider, cellular networks, or anyone out there in the digital world from being able to view the private keys that encrypted messages have.

In other words, only people that have cryptographic keys can decrypt or access and view the content of encrypted messages. This also means that using encrypted messaging services allows you to safely communicate with anyone online without fearing that the content of your private messages is accessed by anyone other than the intended recipient. When you use standard messaging services such as popular chat networks and email, your messages go through several intermediaries before they reach the intended recipient.

These messages are also stored by third parties as they travel from you before they reach the recipient. Some encrypted messaging services use what is called in-transit encryption technologies. When used this technology, your messages are encrypted but only in transit. In other words, these messages can be accessed by your internet provider even though they are encrypted since they have the cryptographic key required to decrypt this content.

What is Encrypted Messaging?

Nowadays, almost 4,7 billion people use the internet actively for a number of purposes and one of these definitely includes communicating online using different chat apps and services. Since more and more people realize the great dangers lurking in the digital world, more and more people turn to encrypted messaging options in order to protect their private, confidential data they share when they communicate online.

The basic idea behind encrypted messaging technologies revolves around scrambling text and voice messages through powerful encryption technology so that their content is not accessible by anyone except the person that has the cryptographic key required to decrypt such scrambled messages. Nonetheless, not all instant messaging apps and services use end-to-end encryption technologies.

As mentioned in the previous section, some of them only encrypt your private messages as they travel so their content still exists in plain text or some other readable format usually at the place where these messages are stored. When in-transit encryption is used, the content of private messages is only encrypted or scramble as it travels on the internet. Once it reaches the recipient, private messages are decrypted to their original readable form.

This means that such messages are not secured at their origin as well as at their destination. For the fullest protection, the best option is to turn to encrypted messaging services that use the very best end-to-end encryption which protects the content of private messages at all points including their origin as well as transmission, and final destination points. Once private messages are encrypted to a scrambled format at their origin point, they remain in this unreadable format as their transmission starts.

Upon reaching their final destination, these messages are still encrypted. This is not the case when in-transit encryption technology is used which decrypts private messages as they reach the recipient. When these two encryption technologies are compared, it is an end-to-end encryption technology that makes instant messaging more secure in every sense throughout the entire transmission process. Needless to say, this is also the technology that powers the best encrypted messaging services out there.

How to Pick Your Instant Messaging Service?

Thanks to amazing technological advancements, today we have a great variety of instant messaging services and apps at our disposal to choose from. However, it is important to remember that not all instant messaging services offer encrypted messaging options. In other words, not every instant messaging service is powered by encryption technology.

Some voice, chat, and text messaging options out there let you send private, secure messages that are encrypted from their origin to their destination points and this is always the best option to choose from. If you prefer SMS messaging, keep in mind that the vast majority of global mobile carriers do not employ end-to-end encryption even though they may claim so.

On the other hand, when mobile carriers do use encryption technology, the technology is most commonly applied on the transmission journey of your message from your messaging device to the respective cell tower. In other words, when you send an SMS that is encrypted this way, your message is decrypted before it reaches your mobile carrier’s network or database. Here, SMS messages are stored in an unsecured and of course, vulnerable state.

One exception to this rule is using iMessage which is a popular, widely used encrypted messaging option available for Apple Macs and iOS-powered smartphones. However, iMessage is only available to iOS users. This does not mean that Android users do not have many different encrypted messaging options out there at their disposal. Some of these options include:

The Best Encrypted Messaging Services

All of these services are reputable, renowned, safe, and easy to use options for sending encrypted messages to anyone who is connected to the web. Since 2016, WhatsApp has been offering self destructing message services that you can enjoy for free as soon as you get the WhatsApp app. Very similar to WhatsApp is Viber that is operated by the Rakuten Inc. company. With over 900 million users, Viber remains one of the most popular instant messaging options out there for sending private, secure, encrypted messages.

Unlike Viber and WhatsApp, to use Wickr you do not have to use your phone number or email. This means that Wickr does not collect any of your personal data and you still get to benefit from its powerful encrypted messaging tool. With over 700 million active users, LINE is another great option to communicate online just like very popular and widely used Signal, Telegram, and Dust that have their loyal users scattered all over the globe.