Disappearing posts being tested on Facebook

If you wish to use Facebook, like Snapchat, you would get a chance soon. A new feature is being tested, through which a time can be set by the users for status updates to disappear. A spokesman of Facebook says that this feature is a part of ‘small pilot’ and the availability of it is only for certain people using the iOS app of Facebook.

Several users noted the test on their iPhones. As per a Twitter post, various expiration options were shown ranging from 1 hour to 7 days. This is not the first time that Facebook has tried emulating the emerging social media services that are designed to be used in the moment, without a permanent digital mark being left.

In the year 2012, Facebook tried Poke, a standalone application. It was shut down this year and Slingshot replaced it. Slingshot is a similar application on which the short-lived messages are shown only once 2 users send them to each other. The ephemeral has become quite alluring in the world of social media, especially among the young users, in last 2 years. Snapchat is quite successful as one can share videos, texts, photos within a matter of few seconds. The scheduled deletions on Facebook have a longer shelf life as compared to few seconds. Users also wish to delete updates that are no longer of use after a certain period of time.

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Anne-Marie Jackson

Anna grew up on a steady diet of 20th century literature, science-fiction movies and Viking lore. Unsurprisingly she turned into a technology geek with an inclination for history & fantasy.