Facebook has announced it will introduce a "vanish mode" for its Messenger app and for Instagram, following the introduction of a similar feature on Whatsapp.

If the so-called vanish mode is activated, messages will be deleted automatically after a certain amount of time, once the receiver has seen them and the sender has left the chat.

Vanish mode only works with people you're connected with - for instance, Facebook friends - and is activated for everyone in the chat, Facebook says.

If the person you're chatting to takes a screenshot of a message in vanish mode, you will receive a notification.

While the feature is already available on Messenger in the United States, users elsewhere and on Instagram will have to wait a little longer, as the feature is being deployed slowly.

On Whatsapp, the disappearing messages are set to arrive in the course of November.

The feature is already a staple with a number of other communications apps, such as Signal, Wire and Telegram, on which you can determine how long a message is to remain visible.

 - dpa