Snapchat Now Lets You Delete Messages That Have Already Been Viewed

Photo-messaging app Snapchat is rolling out a new feature called Clear Chats that will allow users to delete messages from personal and group chat-threads, even after the messages have been viewed.

The new feature is aimed at making people more comfortable sending sensitive information over Snapchat. This could also check cases of revenge porn and blackmails where hackers or others threat and expose abusive conversations and personal images, TechCrunch reported on Monday.

“Hold down on a text, image, video, memory, sticker or audio note in a one-on-one or group chat, you’ll see a ‘delete’ button. Tap it and Snapchat will try to retract the message, though it admits it won’t always work if the recipient lacks an Internet connection or updated version of the app,” the report added.

This feature may boost the app usage after it hit its slowest growth rate ever last quarter because of Snapchat’s globally criticised redesign. Snapchat is working to roll out the “clear chats” feature globally over the next few weeks.

Separately, Snap announced that its Spectacles 2.0 are now available via Amazon in the US, UK, and Canada. They will be made available in other European markets soon, the company said.

Late last month, a Pew Research Center survey found that US teens are shifting away from Facebook. The US-based survey found that 51 percent of US teens aged 13 to 17 use Facebook, compared to 85 percent for YouTube, 72 percent for Instagram, and 69 percent for Snapchat.