Mark Zuckerberg is advising Facebook Messenger users against taking screenshots of their chats.
Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook with his university roommates.
He is currently the chairman, CEO, and controlling shareholder of Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook.
His early career, legal troubles, and initial success with Facebook were even adapted into a film called The Social Network.
Now, Zuckerberg is issuing a reminder—and a warning—to Facebook users: don’t screenshot your chats.
Essentially, in 2020, Facebook introduced a feature called Vanish Mode, which made messages disappear on Facebook and Instagram.
Vanish Mode ensured that messages would disappear after the recipient had viewed them and exited the chat.
“Facebook explained, ‘Sometimes, you just want to share a spontaneous thought without it lingering. That’s why we’re thrilled to roll out Vanish Mode on Messenger, which allows you to send messages that automatically disappear.’”
You can activate this feature by swiping up in an existing chat thread on your mobile device. To return to the regular chat mode, simply swipe up again on your screen.
Bridget Pujals, Messenger Product Manager, and Manik Singh, Instagram Product Manager, stated (via USA Today): “We created Vanish Mode with safety and user choice as priorities, allowing you to control your own experience.”
Vanish Mode initially launched in the US before expanding to countries across the EU.
The Facebook Help Center now indicates that the feature is ‘no longer supported,’ although disappearing messages are still available.
It adds, “Disappearing messages are being gradually introduced and might not be available to you just yet.”
To access the feature, click on the person’s name in Messenger, then scroll down to Privacy and Support. There, you’ll find the option for Disappearing Messages.
The description warns: “If someone takes a screenshot or screen recording, you’ll receive a notification in the chat.”
Mark Zuckerberg has issued a warning to Facebook Messenger users about taking screenshots of their chats in a recent post on the platform.
It reads: “New update for end-to-end encrypted Messenger chats: you’ll receive a notification if someone screenshots a disappearing message.”
“We’re also adding GIFs, stickers, and reactions to encrypted chats.”
The Facebook founder shared a conversation with his wife, Priscilla Chan, where he made a cheesy joke about a supercomputer. She took a screenshot, showing how the new notification feature works.
