Facebook testing 'Secret Conversation' feature

Would you like to keep your conversations private? Facebook knows that and is thus experimenting with a private message feature for those using its Messenger app. Just flag off a conversation to be made private and it will be hidden after a certain period of time, chosen by the author.

However, senders must choose one device to use it on, as messages sent this way are stored on the device itself. Those flagged to "disappear" will be deleted from the device as well. "Secret conversations can only be read on one device and we recognize that experience may not be right for everyone," Facebook said regarding the trial runs.

Facebook has recognized that people want to keep their conversations private the most when they are talking about health and financial issues, and also love affairs. The feature is being run on a limited basis, but Facebook said that it would be more widely available over the summer. As of now, video and GIFs cannot be shared secretly. The service will also have extra features for reporting abuse.

The service is built on the Signal protocol by Open Whisper Systems, which is widely used by messaging apps.