Facebook introduced a new feature for Messenger chats called vanish mode.   Credit: FACEBOOK

Facebook is rolling out a new feature that makes messages disappear in Messenger and Instagram.

Vanish mode makes messages disappear after they are seen by the recipient and they leave the chat.

Users can turn on the new feature by swiping up on their mobile device in and existing chat thread. To return to the original messaging mode, users can swipe up on their screen again and have the regular chat screen.

"We designed vanish mode with safety and choice in mind, so you control your experience," said Bridget Pujals, Messenger Product Manager, and Manik Singh, Instagram Product Manager, in a statement.

Messenger and Instagram will notify users when someone takes a screenshot of their chat while using vanish mode.

Vanish mode is currently available on Messenger in the U.S. and will later roll out to countries in the EU. Vanish mode on Instagram will be available in the US in the coming weeks, according to Facebook.

The news comes after WhatsApp, also owned by Facebook, launched a new feature that makes messages disappear after seven days.