Chrome Extension Lets Gmail Users Set Their Messages To Self-Destruct

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(Dmail)

In a world where sending instant messages is commonplace, the dark side of communicating at the touch of a button means we often regret the decision to send a photo or email, and just wish it would disappear. Although Gmail recently unveiled an “Undo send” option, for some that might be not be enough. For those folks, there’s a new Chrome extension that gives users the ability to have their emails self-destruct.

The idea behind the extension, dubbed Dmail, isn’t new — Snapchat, for example, sends photos and videos into the Internet ether once they’ve been viewed for a certain amount of time — but it’s an attractive one, as it gives the sender control over how long their missive can be read.

The extension adds a “Send with Dmail” button next to the usual “Send” button in Gmail, which differs from “Undo send” in that it allows users to set the time limits on their email as long as they want. Undo send only gives users up to 30 seconds to retract whatever message they regret immediately after sending.

So if you don’t want your high school crush to be able to read that message you penned late one night after a few too many hard ciders for more than a minute, you can set that email to go poof after 60 seconds. Want it to linger for say, a day or a week? You can pre-set that timing too.

If you’re not sure if you’re going to regret it (come on, you know you will) you can set it to “never” self-destruct, but then revoke it at a later date if you want.

Dmail claims it will also unlock a feature that won’t allow forwarding, meaning only the person you sent your message to will be able to see it. That is, unless the recipient is familiar with copy and paste, and gets wise to your use of Dmail.

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist