PlayInfoBox

Home /Education /How to Set Up Disappearing Messages on Signal

How to Set Up Disappearing Messages on Signal

Tap through each step in order.

  1. Open the chat you want to set this up in

    Open the conversation in Signal where you want to turn on disappearing messages.

  2. Tap the contact's name at the top

    Tap the contact's name or profile at the top of the screen to open the chat's detailed settings.

  3. Select "Disappearing messages"

    Find and tap "Disappearing messages" in the settings list.

  4. Set how long until messages disappear

    Choose a duration anywhere from 30 seconds to 4 weeks, and any message sent afterward will be automatically deleted once that time passes.

  5. Why it's useful

    Sensitive conversations don't stay permanently stored on your device β€” they clean themselves up automatically once the conversation is over, giving you extra peace of mind about privacy.

Looking for a more private messenger

Signal is built from the ground up around privacy, and its disappearing messages feature adds another layer that makes sensitive conversations noticeably safer to have. General note: no messaging feature is a substitute for using good judgment about what you share, especially anything sensitive.

Set different timers for different chats

Because the timer is set per conversation, you can leave a casual group chat untouched while setting a much shorter timer for a conversation involving sensitive personal or financial details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are disappeared messages truly unrecoverable?

Yes β€” once the set time passes, they're permanently deleted from the device, and Signal's servers never retain the original message content to begin with.

Does the other person get notified if they take a screenshot?

No β€” Signal doesn't provide a built-in screenshot notification feature by default.