Message Retention
Message Retention lets you configure automatic message deletion for any blog, forum, or private group. Messages older than the configured period are removed from your device.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”In high-threat environments, keeping old messages indefinitely increases exposure if a device is seized or compromised. Message Retention gives you control over how long messages are kept, on a per-group basis.
Where to find it
Section titled “Where to find it”Message Retention is available in the overflow menu of any:
- Blog
- Forum
- Private group
Open the group, tap the overflow menu (three dots), and select Message Retention.
Available options
Section titled “Available options”| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 7 days | Messages older than 7 days are automatically deleted |
| 30 days | Messages older than 30 days are automatically deleted |
| 90 days | Messages older than 90 days are automatically deleted |
| 180 days | Messages older than 180 days are automatically deleted |
| Keep forever | No automatic deletion (default) |
User flow
Section titled “User flow”- Open a blog, forum, or private group.
- Tap the overflow menu (three dots).
- Select Message Retention.
- Choose a retention period.
- The setting takes effect immediately.
Messages older than the selected period are deleted. New messages will be automatically deleted once they exceed the retention window.
Key behaviors
Section titled “Key behaviors”- Local-only — Message Retention deletes messages from your device only. It does not affect other participants’ copies.
- Per-group — Each group has its own retention setting. Changing one group does not affect others.
- Retroactive — When you set a retention period, existing messages older than the period are deleted immediately.
- Thread coherence — When a message in a thread is deleted by retention, the thread structure remains intact for remaining messages.
- Reversible — You can change the retention period or switch back to “Keep forever” at any time. This stops future automatic deletions but does not restore already-deleted messages.