Messaging app Viber is apparently gearing up to release a new feature for secret chats later this week, according to a new report.
Snapchat changed the messaging game with its disappearing messages, which self-destruct in 24 hours like nothing ever happened. The ephemeral aspect proved to be a hit and it's what made Snapchat more popular, prompting others to follow the trend as well.
Facebook copied a number of Snapchat features for its Messenger and WhatsApp services and Viber is joining the party as well, expanding its Snapchat-like secret chats across its platform.
Viber already launched secret messages earlier this year, but only for single messages. More specifically, the secret messages feature allows users to send a message with a self-destruct timer set for how long the photo, video, or text would be visible within a conversation. Once the time expires, that message vanishes like it was never part of the conversation.
Viber Secret Chats
The secret chats feature builds on the same concept, but the feature applies to entire conversations rather than just single messages. As VentureBeat reports, Viber's upcoming secret chats will enable whole conversation threads to self-destruct, whether they're making up a group chat or a private chat with a friend. Users can pre-set the self-destruct timer and rest assured that their conversation won't leave a trace.
The secret chats feature will apparently be available in addition to the hidden chats option Viber already offers, which allows users to protect their conversations with a PIN. The new option will just add more options for privacy, letting users choose whether they want to store PIN-locked conversations or have chats disappear altogether.
Viber Secret Chat Features
Viber is also adding a number of neat features to further enhance the experience. First off, messages part of a secret chat will not be available to forward so the whole thing stays private.
Even better, Viber is not only adding screenshot alerts to warn users when others are capturing a photo of the secret chat, but it also allows users to block screenshots altogether. Worthy of note here, however, is that only Android users will be able to prevent others from taking screenshots of secret chats, as the iOS platform doesn't allow this option. Nevertheless, Viber users on iOS will still get notifications when others grab a screenshot of the secret chat.
The secret chats will also be protected by Viber's end-to-end encryption to keep them away from prying eyes.
VentureBeat says that Viber secret chats will roll out for both Android and iOS later this week, but a more specific release date is not available. Viber has yet to make an official announcement in this regard, but it will most likely offer more details when it actually releases the new feature.
News of the secret chats feature comes hot on the heels of Viber's new in-app shopping feature, which allows users to enjoy a shopping experience straight in the chat window. Major brands such as Macy's are already on board and users can search for goods and share with friends without having to leave Viber.
