Self-destructing messages sounds like something from a Mission Impossible flick. But the technology for eliminating your paper trails is no longer reserved for CIA agents.  Now it’s teenagers looking to lose their digital “paper trails,” reacting to the social confines of growing up in the fishbowl era where every text message can one day become an incriminating piece of evidence.

Snapchat made waves when the service launched because it offered a way for people to shares photos without having to worry about them surfacing on the web.  Snapchat isn’t flawless, as receivers can take screenshots of the photos, but at least the sender is made aware when a screenshot is taken.  But even Snapchat is susceptible to third party attacks.

With the recent leak of millions of Snapchat usernames and phone numbers, could we really trust something that can’t protect its users’ privacy?

If you no longer trust Snapchat, or just want to try other ephemeral apps, here are some alternatives:

3 alternatives to Snapchat

Leo

This app is a messaging service that allows you converse with a group of people without having to worry about the things you share, as messages, texts and videos disappear within seconds of viewing.  The point of Leo is not to offer privacy, but a safe space for people to be themselves since nothing will be stored or viewed after it has been erased.  It’s a quick way to get your message across a group of people without worrying that it will stay with them forever.  It is available for both iOS and Android.

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Wickr

Another app to consider is Wickr.  This app offers military-grade encryption for messages, photos, audios and videos.  The sender controls who gets the messages, how long the message will be available for viewing, and is pretty simple to use.  If you’re on a top secret mission, or you just don’t want your significant other to know you’re planning a surprise birthday party, this app is your best ally.  The app is available for both iOS and Android.

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Confide

Not everyone likes self-destructing photos, but wouldn’t mind the power to make messages disappear into thin air.  Confide is a new app that let’s people do just that.  When messages are sent, they are not readily seen.  The receiver needs to swipe on the screen to read it, then after reading, the message disappears immediately.  So it’s quite tricky to get a screenshot of it.  But people are crafty so they may be able to figure out how to do that. So Confide alerts you if someone attempts a screenshot of your message.  The sender also gets a notification when the message has been read.  All you need is the email address of the person you want to send a secret message to and you’re good to go.  Confide is currently available for iOS only.

photo credit: Serena. via photopin cc