Instagram is known for introducing new features now and again, with one of its most head-turning recent ones being its Vanish Mode.
We are going to go in-depth on this feature so you can have complete control over your conversations according to your needs and wants.
What Is Vanish Mode
Before we go any further, it’s a good idea to understand how Vanish Mode works.
Instagram’s Vanish more is a feature for private person-to-person conversations that allows someone to send messages that disappear after they have been seen.
If you use other social media platforms like Snapchat, then you are already familiar with this kind of feature. However, it is fairly new to Instagram.
In Vanish Mode, you can toggle any sendable content to disappear once it has been seen, be it images, videos, or something else. If you enjoy secrecy and privacy that leaves no trace, or does not need to stay permanent, this is a feature you will definitely want to leverage.
How to Turn on Vanish Mode on Instagram
Before we go over how to turn off Vanish Mode on Instagram, it’s a good idea to know how to turn it on in the first place.
Here are the steps to take:
- Open your Instagram app (ensure you have the latest updated version)
- Start a conversation with someone you want to talk to
- Swipe up on the conversation and notice the message that says Swipe up to turn on vanish mode
- Swipe up to see a new private conversation with Vanish Mode enabled
Note: Vanish Mode is only available for conversations between you and one other person. A group chat using Vanish Mode is not possible yet.
Also, if you are wondering how to know whether a person has sent you a message using Vanish Mode, worry not. Instagram will send them a chat notification that lets them know messages will disappear after they have been seen.
How to Turn Off Vanish Mode on Instagram
If you want to turn off Vanish Mode, you will have to follow these steps:
- Head to your messages by tapping on the icon in the top-right of your feed page
- Find the conversation you were previously using with Vanish Mode enabled
- Swipe up on the conversation to see a prompt informing you that you can keep swiping up to turn off Vanish Mode
- Swipe up until you have exited Vanish Mode
That’s it! You should find yourself back in your original conversation.
Things to Know About Vanish Mode
Now that you know how to turn off Vanish Mode on Instagram, there are a few tips and tricks, as well as considerations, you should know.
Vanish Mode is not complete privacy, meaning that someone can still take screenshots or screen record in a conversation using external tools. Be careful about sharing sensitive content.
You can block and report unwanted messages in Vanish Mode just as you would in a normal message conversation. You do not need to accept inappropriate behavior in any situation.
Instagram does not notify the other person when you disable Vanish Mode at this time, but this may change in the future.
End-to-End encryption is enabled by default, which means the messages you and another person share between each other are only seen by the two of you. This provides you with an added layer of privacy.
Enabling Vanish Mode prevents you from retrieving messages, which means if you have any important information shared in a conversation with this feature turned on, you will have to save it prior to disabling Vanish Mode.