NOW Messenger · alpha · worked example
How to check guest chat identity and disappearing messages
A guest chat needs a clear distinction between identity, access and message expiry. Test the current behaviour with harmless text before relying on a room for meaningful conversation.
Updated October 10, 2026 · by thecreatingco
A small example to work through
Our original test plan uses two guest identities, Cedar and Pebble, and one disposable message: Test message only. It is a worksheet; no identities, rooms or messages are created by this guide.
| Item | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Cedar and Pebble | Separate guest identities |
| Room access | Who can join | Check actual deployment audience and room controls |
| Expiry | Before and after selected time | Check whether content becomes unavailable |
| Cleanup | Server retention behaviour | Do not equate hidden content with immediate physical erasure |
Download the editable text worksheet · Download the CSV worksheet
Use the blank observation and decision fields to record your own result. These downloads are planning worksheets; they do not load an app project or demonstrate a completed export.
Try it and inspect the result
- Open NOW Messenger and review whether the deployment currently grants access. Site audience is separate from messaging membership.
- For your own test, use clearly labelled guest identities and harmless text. Verify username search and room membership rather than assuming Circle accounts carry over.
- If using expiry, review the message before and after its selected time. Keep any essential information elsewhere; disappearing messages should not be your only record.
When the result differs
- Circle username is absent
- Connect your Community profile to use its username in NOW. Earlier Circle chats stay in their original inbox.
- Message expired
- Content becomes unavailable immediately; physical cleanup is handled on requests and an hourly task.
- Room feels private
- Review actual access controls. Messages are not end-to-end encrypted.
What this example establishes
This guide describes the documented current scope and a manual test method, not a newly completed chat test. Access is deployment-controlled separately. It does not promise screenshot prevention, instant physical deletion or recovery of expired content.
This page supplies a worked example and a review method. It does not report a newly completed end-to-end app test. For current availability and edition details, read the NOW Messenger overview.