Line users are getting excited after the announcement that a new update to the app will allow time-limited messages to be sent to other users who also have the new function.
The company said the move aims to give users a larger arena to work within and communicate with others through what is being called the "Hidden Chat" function.
The update, which occurred recently, allows messages to be sent to other Line users with ease. Those messages will not be permanently stored, depending on the time allotment that a user chooses. This is akin to a method used by Snapchat, which deletes messages after a certain amount of time, giving more privacy in the midst of conversations.
The new Hidden Chat function of the Line app allows users to send messages and photos to friends as a "hidden message." This means that those messages and images will not be immediately displayed until the other user clicks and loads it, after which point it will disappear based on the amount of time indicated.
Line details the idea concisely in its press release announcing the new hidden messaging service.
"Hidden Chats take place in a separate 1-to-1 chat room from regular chats. Text and image messages are sent in a secure state, and after the receiver taps on the message, the contents will only be displayed for a preset amount of time. After that time limit is exceeded, the message will be deleted automatically," reads the company's statement.
Still, there are fears that the hidden messaging idea could become dangerous if unwanted images are somehow extracted and published online, which could embarrass many users.
Most observers view this as an add-on for the Line app, as it is very similar to Snapchat, which allows users to send messages and photos to others without -- mostly, at least -- them resurfacing down the road online.
The update is expected to be available across the world, although Asia appears to be left out of the new messaging service as Line apparently doesn't have those languages functioning yet.
"This feature is unsupported on Chinese and Japanese accounts and on the BlackBerry, Firefox, Nokia, Windows Phone, and PC versions of Line," the company was quoted as saying.
