It is not the first time for Facebook to trial a Snapchat-style messaging system, but this time it introduced it alongside a much wider change: the end-to-end encryption in Facebook Messenger, which prevents the message carrier from having access to the message itself.
While another Facebook-owned messaging service, WhatsApp, has encrypted all the conversations a few months ago, messages sent through Messenger app can be read by Facebook. The company admitted it has faced some difficulties in enabling end-to-end encryption in Messenger, mainly because its users are not tied to one device like in the case with WhatsApp. The Messenger user can start a conversation on desktop, carry it over to mobile, and then finish it on a tablet, which is not easy to do with end-to-end encryption.
Encryption options in Messenger are limited by that scope: it locks the conversation to one device, and unlike WhatsApp it can only be one-to-one. So far, the “secret conversations” are opt-in, which requires users to actively decide to take a conversation secret, because in this case you won’t be able to switch between devices. Besides, they don’t currently support rich content like GIFs and videos, making payments, or some other Messenger features.
The only advantage of Messenger over WhatsApp is the introduction of disappearing messages: you can set a timer for the time each message remains visible. It must be noted that Facebook has made similar attempts 3 times previously: Snapchat has been a thorn in Facebook’s side since it turned down an acquisition offer in 2013. For the last 3 years, Facebook has tried to copy Snapchat’s feature with varying success.