Mark Zuckerberg recently issued a warning to Facebook Messenger users, reminding them to “think carefully before taking screenshots” of private chats. His message highlights Meta’s ongoing push to improve privacy and give users more control.

He pointed out an important update: screenshots of disappearing messages will no longer go unnoticed. Messenger will now send an alert whenever someone takes a screenshot of a message that was supposed to vanish. As the article states, “users will receive automatic alerts when someone captures an image of a chat meant to vanish.”

This change connects back to Vanish Mode, introduced in 2020 on Messenger and Instagram, which allowed temporary messages that disappeared after closing the chat. It was meant for quick, casual conversations without a lasting record. As explained at the time, the feature focused on “safety and user choice.”

Vanish Mode could be turned on by swiping up in a chat, and it expanded gradually across different regions. But Facebook’s Help Center now says that “Vanish Mode is no longer supported.” Meta is replacing it with disappearing messages, a similar tool that not everyone has access to yet. The option appears under Privacy and Support for those who do.

The new system keeps the same idea but adds clearer protection. If someone screenshots or starts screen recording, the other person instantly gets a notification. Zuckerberg even showed it in a playful chat with his wife, where her screenshot triggered an alert. The update reflects Meta’s goal to make messaging more private, transparent, and secure.