Google introduces its new incognito feature with disappearing Gmail messages.

Do you remember Inspector Gadget? If you were a kid in the '80s, you’ll recall how the clumsy detective would receive his missions through self-destructing messages that often exploded in someone’s hands.

Google has launched its own version of the Inspector Gadget-style message. While these emails won’t explode, they will disappear after a set period. This new feature is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to improve privacy and security for Gmail users. It will be available to business accounts at a future date, but personal Gmail users can start using it right now.

This feature allows email senders to set messages to expire within a time frame ranging from 24 hours to five years after being sent. A lock icon at the bottom of each new email lets users opt for Gmail Confidential Mode. Besides setting an expiration, Confidential Mode also prevents messages from being forwarded, downloaded, printed, or copied and pasted into new emails or documents. Users can further choose to require a passcode to open the message.

This service addresses growing concerns over privacy and cybersecurity. It also arrives at a time when encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal are attracting attention, while SnapChat’s disappearing photo messages remain popular with younger audiences.

However, before you start sending confidential emails, keep in mind a few key limitations. While erased emails will disappear from recipients’ inboxes, they’ll still be visible in your sent folder unless manually deleted. Additionally, both Mac OS and Windows OS allow users to take and save screenshots of anything on their screens. It’s also unclear how long messages remain on Google’s servers, which could potentially expose them to risks from hacks, like the one that compromised the Democratic National Committee.