Has your Facebook status got an expiration date?

Social media giant Facebook is testing a new feature that mimics Snapchat’s disappearing function with some users in New Zealand.

Users will be able to select an amount of time they want their status updates to appear, anywhere from one hour to a week. Facebook is testing the feature on certain users of the Facebook app on iOS, in the U.S, the UK as well as here in New Zealand.

The new disappearing function follows Facebook’s launch of Slingshot earlier this year, where messages would show up only once two users sent them to each other.

With the success of Snapchat, short-lived messaging has becoming increasingly popular. Snapchat allows you to send photos, videos or texts to a friend or several friends, and you can decide how long those friends can see those messages. They disappear within seconds unless someone takes a screenshot, and which point you are notified.

What would the appeal be of a disappearing status updates? The aim of the trial is for users who may want to delete updates that are no longer important or relevant. Many users use Facebook when looking for flatmates or are trying to give something away by a certain date. When the deadline is met, the idea of the post disappearing without having to manually delete it, is appealing.

Watch this space. Quickly.