Message privacy and disappearing messages

Choose who can message you

1. Open Settings → Privacy and find message permissions.
2. Choose Everyone, Your followers, People you follow or No one from the available options.
3. Save the selection. The rule also applies to supported private post sharing and existing conversations.

Set a disappearing-message timer

When the feature is available, conversation options offer Off, 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days. Either eligible participant can change the timer for future messages. Existing messages retain the expiry assigned when they were sent.

1. Open the conversation's options and choose Disappearing messages.
2. Select the timer and confirm the change.
3. Check the conversation notice before sending new messages.

Understand the limits

Expiry hides a message from the conversation, but it cannot recall screenshots, files saved to another device or other external copies. Blocking prevents further contact under supported account controls. A read receipt, reaction or link preview may be unavailable because of privacy, feature eligibility, expiry or a website that does not provide a preview.