The Self-Destruct Timer removes a message from both devices once the time runs out. It is available for all messages in Secret Chats, and for media in ordinary private chats.
Setting it
- Open the chat.
- Tap the clock icon, in the input field on iOS and in the top bar on Android.
- Choose a duration, from a couple of seconds up to a week.
When the clock starts
This is the part people get wrong. The timer does not begin when you send the message. It begins the moment the message is displayed on the recipient's screen, which is when it gains its second check mark. A message sent to somebody who does not open Telegram for two days sits there untouched, and the countdown starts when they finally read it.
What it does and does not guarantee
- Does: removes the message from both devices when the time expires.
- Does: applies to the media as well as the text.
- Does not: prevent a screenshot, and screenshot alerts can be bypassed on some systems.
- Does not: prevent somebody photographing the screen with another device.
Choosing a duration
Short timers are for content that should be read once and gone, such as a credential being handed over. Longer ones suit a conversation that should not persist indefinitely but still needs to be readable during it. Either way, treat the timer as reducing how long a copy can be made, not as making copying impossible.
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