0 'Self-destructing' message app - messages that deleted after a set period of time

Snapchat, the app allowing people to send messages and video products that self-destruct after a set period of time, has become a technology amassing millions of users, a report has said.

The smartphone app has gained backing of some of the most respected names in Silicon Valley, even though it doesn't make any money.

Because images sent through the application self-destruct seconds after they are opened, Snapchat is being embraced as an antidote to a world where nearly every feeling, celebration and life moment is captured to be shared, logged,liked, commented on, stored, searched and sold.

According to an English daily, for people who don't want to worry about unflattering pictures or embarrassing status updates coming back to haunt them, the app's appeal seems obvious.

The Snapchat service, which started two years ago but has steadily gained users, has been painted as a popular way for people, especially teenagers, to send naughty pictures, the paper said.