Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is urging Facebook Messenger users to think twice before taking screenshots of their conversations.
The reminder comes as Messenger continues rolling out features designed to give people more control over their privacy. One of those tools, first introduced in 2020, was “Vanish Mode”—a setting on Facebook and Instagram that made messages disappear after they were viewed and the chat was closed. At the time, Meta described it as a way to share quick, in-the-moment thoughts without leaving a permanent record. Users could turn it on or off simply by swiping up in a chat.

Although Vanish Mode itself is no longer supported, Meta has replaced it with disappearing messages. According to the Facebook Help Center, this updated option is still being introduced to users around the world. It can be found in Messenger by tapping the recipient’s name, scrolling to “Privacy and Support,” and choosing “Disappearing Messages.” The feature also notes that if someone captures a screenshot or records the screen, the chat will alert both parties.
Zuckerberg highlighted the change in a recent post, explaining that end-to-end encrypted Messenger chats will now notify users if a disappearing message is saved through a screenshot. He added that encrypted chats are also gaining new features, including GIFs, stickers, and reactions, to make them feel more like standard conversations.

To show how the alert works, Zuckerberg shared a lighthearted exchange with his wife, Priscilla Chan. After he sent her a playful tech joke, she took a screenshot—promptly triggering the new notification.