Patent ID: 8914752

Claim:
An ephemeral message controller with instructions executed by a processor to: present on a display indicia of a set of ephemeral messages available for viewing; present on the display a first ephemeral message of the set of ephemeral messages for a first transitory period of time defined by a timer, wherein the first ephemeral message is deleted when the first transitory period of time expires; receive from a touch controller a haptic contact signal indicative of a gesture applied to the display during the first transitory period of time; wherein the ephemeral message controller deletes the first ephemeral message in response to the haptic contact signal and proceeds to present on the display a second ephemeral message of the set of ephemeral messages for a second transitory period of time defined by the timer, wherein the ephemeral message controller deletes the second ephemeral message upon the expiration of the second transitory period of time; wherein the second ephemeral message is deleted when the touch controller receives another haptic contact signal indicative of another gesture applied to the display during the second transitory period of time; and wherein the ephemeral message controller initiates the timer upon the display of the first ephemeral message and the display of the second ephemeral message.