There are many popular messaging platforms today announcing many privacy features, including that end-to-end encryption too desired but polemic or E2EE. While whatsapp is known for that function, it is not exactly the first or most popular in that area. The signal is still one of the most recommended privacy mentality messaging applications, and is taking a small additional step to ensure that its users have full control over their messages, especially their message history, with some new settings for messages They disappear.
Ephemeral messages, also called missing or self-destructive messages, run a long backward road, of course, popularized by Snapchat. The signal added that functionality in 2016, but had diverged the implementation of Snapchat in an important way. While ephemeral messages are the default value in Snapchat, they had been enabled by a base by conversation in the signal.
After almost half a decade, that is finally changing. With a single switch, you can configure missing messages to be the default value for conversations. However, it should be noted that the configuration will only apply to new conversations or groups after the change is made.
The signal is also giving its users the freedom to choose how long before those messages are deleted from the chat history. Instead of a predefined set of options, you can select Set the delay in something as short as a few seconds until a few weeks.
Interestingly, the signal announces messages that disappear less as a privacy function and more as a cleaning tool. It is designed primarily to save storage space on a device, although it also has the effect of reducing the risk of exposing private conversations in case the device becomes the wrong hands. The signal does not recommend using missing messages when communicated with an adversary.
