Apps like Snapchat and Facebook Poke
let users send short messages, photos or videos that automatically
self-destruct after a few seconds. However, it's actually very easy for a
recipient to save some of those messages permanently -- and without the
sender knowing.
Both apps will alert the sender
if the recipient takes a screengrab of whatever was sent, of course, but
by connecting your phone to a PC or Mac, the messages can be secretly
offloaded without the sender knowing -- a possibility first reported by BuzzFeed. For an iPhone, all you'll need is a third-party file manager like iExplorer.
[More from Mashable: Facebook in 2013: More Growing Pains Ahead]
For Poke, only videos can be
permanently stored in this manner, and only videos that you haven't
already viewed. But it's very easy. Once you've installed your file
manager, connect your iPhone and you should see a list of your apps.
Select the Poke folder, then navigate to
Library>Caches>FBStore>315_14_>MediaCache. There you should
see every Poke video that you haven't yet watched. (See screencap
below.)
[More from Mashable: NYC Releases App to Tell You When the Next Subway Is Coming]
From there, all you need to do is
drag and drop the files to any other folder on your computer to copy
and store them. After that, you can open the file in Poke, let it
self-destruct, and the sender will be none the wiser.
Although permanent storage only
works for videos in Poke, performing similar steps for Snapchat will let
you save both videos and photos.
SEE ALSO: Facebook Poke App Is Frustrating as Hell
While it's a bit surprising that
it's so easy to save messages that are ostensibly deleted permanently,
it may be a stretch to characterize this file caching as a
"vulnerability" of the apps, which are generally intended for casual
use. Facebook's official statement on the matter appears to take this stance:
"Poke is a fun and easy way to communicate with your friends and is not designed to be a secure messaging system. While Pokes disappear after they are read, there are still ways that people can potentially save them. For example, you could take a screenshot of a photo, in which case the sender is notified. People could also take a photo of a photo you sent them, or a video of a video, with another camera. Because of this, people should think about what they are sending and share responsibly."
What do you think of the potential for someone to save a Facebook Poke or Snapchat message? Let us know in the comments.
Top image courtesy of iStockphoto, JimmyAnderson
BONUS: How Facebook Poke Works
Facebook Poke: Startup Screen
Poke, the new iPhone app from Facebook, lets you send short messages, photos and videos to friends that automatically self destruct after a few seconds. If you have the Facebook app on your phone already, logging in is effortless.
Resource : Yahoo News
No comments:
Post a Comment