Facebook Testing Snapchat-Like Feature

Facebook is reportedly testing a brand new feature on Facebook Messenger that allows a user to create messages that self-destruct. The messages will not be visible to the intended recipient one hour after delivery.

The feature, much like Snapchat, will be available in the Messenger app for users in France. Users can choose whether to send regular messages, or to put a limit on the time for which the message can be viewed. Once the time-limit expires, even the recipient will not be able to view the message.

"We're excited to announce the latest in an Engaging product line of optional features geared towards making Messenger the best way to communicate with the people that matter most," said the company, "Starting today, we’re conducting a small test in France of a feature that allows people to send messages that disappear an hour after they’re sent. Disappearing messages gives people another fun option to choose from when they communicate on Messenger. We look forward to hearing people’s feedback as they give it a try."

The feature can be turned on by clicking on a sand-clock-like timer icon available at the top-right corner of the smartphone screen. The feature is not applicable in all conversations, only to specific users. The feature can be turned off at any time.

The company previously released Slingshot, an app that allows users to quickly send pictures to one another, with a catch that users can see the images only if an image is sent back in return. However, this venture failed to attract much user attention. Before Slingshot, Facebook released Poke, a standalone Snapchat-like app. Unlike Slingshot, Poke included the ability to send text-based messages that would disappear after being viewed by the recipient.

Facebook is incorporating features available to users of Snapchat, hoping to capture some of the market share of self-destructing messages. However, Snapchat offers much more than the usual timed messages – it offers drip-feeded content from portals such as Comedy Central, and from Hollywood studios as well.

Currently available for iOS and Android users in France, Facebook is still skeptical whether to release this feature to all countries. According to Facebook, the underlying factor of implementation in all countries depends on the success attained in France. Messenger currently serves more than 700 million monthly active users worldwide.