Photos, snaps and video messages

Who can send photos and snaps

You can send photos and snaps once you've verified your ID. See Verify your ID. They can't go in a message request: wait until the other person accepts it. Until you can send one, the photo and camera buttons next to the message box are greyed out, and the chat tells you why.

Send a photo

1. In a chat, tap the photo button next to the message box and choose a photo. If you keep photos in My media, you choose from there, or tap Choose a photo from your device.
2. Add a caption if you like (up to 500 characters).
3. Tap Send photo.

Photos are only kept for a while (see the plans below). A photo shows when it'll go, like "Deleted in 6 days". After that it's deleted for both of you and shows as 📷 Photo expired.

Send a snap

A snap is a photo the other person can open once.

1. In a chat, tap the camera button next to the message box.
2. Take the photo with the CageCheck camera (snaps can't come from your photo library). Tap ⇄ Flip to switch cameras, or Retake to try again.
3. Tap Send snap.

You can't open a snap after sending it. Your chat shows whether it's delivered, opened, replayed or expired.

When someone sends you one, tap Tap to view snap. It opens full screen with your @username faintly across it, and closes when you tap anywhere or leave the app. Nothing can stop a screenshot, so only send what you're comfortable with.

Send a video message

1. In a chat, tap the video camera button next to the message box.
2. Tap ⇄ Flip to switch cameras if you like, then the red round button to start. Talk for up to 2 minutes and tap ■ Stop (it stops by itself at 2 minutes).
3. Watch it back, then tap Send, or Record again.

You can also send a video from My media, up to 2 minutes: tap the photo button and choose it. It's sent as a video message.

Video messages are kept for 7 days on every plan, then deleted for both of you. They can't be downloaded. Like photos, they're blurred until tapped if you've chosen to be asked before photos are shown. Someone who hasn't verified their ID sees that it arrived, with Verify my ID to watch it.

Limits by plan

• Player (free): photos and snaps you send are kept for 7 days. Snaps sent to you can be viewed once.
• Player+ and Pro: photos and snaps you send are kept for 90 days. Snaps sent to you can be replayed once (Tap to replay).

How long a photo or snap is kept depends on the sender's plan. Whether a snap can be replayed depends on the plan of the person viewing it. See Plans and badges.

Photos stay hidden until you tap

When Ask before showing check-in photos and proof is on in Settings → Profile & privacy (it is unless you turned it off), photos people send you show as 🔒 Photo · tap to view. They hide again when you leave the app, so you can open your messages safely in public.

Disappearing messages

1. In a chat, tap •••.
2. Under Disappearing messages, choose 24 hours or 7 days. Choose Off to stop.

It's for both of you: new messages are deleted that long after they're sent. The chat shows who turned it on, and ⏱ appears next to the chat in your inbox. You can turn it on once you're both chatting, not while the chat is still a request.