The LINE app now has a hidden messages feature

Line, a popular smartphone messaging app in Asia, unveiled this week a new feature that is reminiscent of Snapchat, a Silicon Valley app that lets users send texts and photos that disappear in seconds. But the new feature, which promises to delete each message from Line’s servers after a certain period of time, is also an indication of how privacy and security are becoming more prominent issues in mobile social networking services — a trend that has helped encrypted messaging apps like Telegram Messenger attract more users. Line, developed by a Japanese subsidiary of South Korean Internet giant Naver, said on its official website that its new “Hidden Chat” feature allows users to send messages and images that are only displayed for a set length of time. Conversations using the new feature will take place in a chat room separate from Line’s regular chat page. After the time limit set by the user — between two seconds and one week — the message disappears from the chat room and also gets deleted from the app’s servers. “This feature is perfect for sending messages containing sensitive information or images that you only want the recipient to see,” Line said.