Start with what the other person can see
A random-chat partner sees your gender and approximate age. Friends can also see your nickname and presence information. Posts and comments in Time Square omit nicknames, but that does not make the text impossible to connect to its author.
For example, using the same distinctive nickname and profile story that you use elsewhere can make you recognizable. A private friend note stays visible only to you; it does not rename the other person’s public profile.
Check the content before sending
A screenshot may contain a notification, email address or browser tab. A photo may show a street sign, uniform, parcel label or reflection. Image compression removes embedded photo metadata, not identifying details within the picture itself.
Voice can disclose a name spoken in the background, a workplace announcement or your own recognizable voice. If a detail is unnecessary for the conversation, omit it. Do not treat a disappearing message as a safe place to send a password, document or intimate image.
Understand the server and AI boundary
The service processes data under internal account identifiers. Records are encrypted at rest, but the server can decrypt them to provide the service and handle authorized reports. This is not end-to-end encryption.
If you authorize an AI client to read a conversation, the client may receive the other person’s text as well as yours. Review its privacy practices and use the smallest permission set you need. Revocation prevents future access, not copies already received.
Choose a practical privacy routine
Use a nickname that does not unnecessarily connect your accounts. Review media before sending. Share a friend invitation privately rather than publishing it in a public place; reset it if it has reached people you did not intend to invite.
If you realize you shared too much, stop sending further identifying details, use the relevant deletion controls where available, and block or report misuse. Expiry and deletion cannot retrieve screenshots or saved copies. The privacy notice lists the separate message and report retention periods.