Auto-Destruction: Expiration and Burn-on-read (BOR)

Applies to:

What is Auto-Destruct?
 
Auto-Destruct settings govern the time at which messages and/or attachments are securely destroyed. Currently, there are two settings found with the "(i)" info button in a Room/Conversation on Desktop or when you tap the username or Room name in Mobile devices:

Desktop:

Mobile:

Expiration and Burn-on-read Timers:

 
"Expiration" sets the empirical maximum amount of time content may live; it starts counting when the content is sent.
 
"Burn-on-read" sets the amount of time after a recipient views the content before it is destroyed; it starts counting as soon as content is marked as "read" but will never extend the life of the content beyond the destruct time determined by the "Expiration" value.
 
By using these values, you can provide ample time for a recipient to receive a message without compromising ephemerality. So, for example, if "Expiration" is set for 48-hours and "Burn-on-read" is set for 5-minutes, the recipient of your message will have a full two days to receive the message but the content will no longer exist on their device 5-minutes after it is read.

NOTE: If your messages are not being received or you have notifications for messages that are no longer there, this may be due to the sender setting the expiration too low. If they are setting an expiration time of 10 minutes and you check it anytime after 10 minutes from the time it was sent, you will see a notification but no message. Try having the sender adjust the expiration time to further out.

The expiration is counted on both devices from the time it is sent, while the Burn-on-Read will count from the time it is "read" on the recipient's computer. Currently, the Burn-on-Read also counts down on the sender's copy of the message when it is "read" (as soon as it is sent), but do not worry! The copy of the message that the recipient has will only start the countdown when they open the conversation or unlock the message.

To adjust expiration and BOR settings please see this article: https://support.wickr.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001319234-How-do-I-adjust-message-destruct-times- 

AWS Wickr Only: Global Defaults vs. Room Defaults

When set from within the Administration Panel, these two settings are the global setting for all users assigned to the chosen Security Group. In the Wickr application (mobile or desktop), moderators of Rooms can set their own Auto-Destruct parameters, but they must be equal to or less than the values established within the Security Group. The same applies to 1:1 messaging of users assigned with this Security Group setting.