⚠️ The Problem with "Confidential" Messages
You mark an email "confidential" — but that word has no teeth. The message lives forever, forwarded and copied without your knowledge.
That "confidential" email you sent three years ago? It's still sitting in your recipient's inbox, their backup, their IT archive, and possibly a forwarded copy you'll never know about.
There's nothing stopping your recipient from forwarding sensitive information to anyone. You sent it to one person — it could reach ten.
Text messages, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp — every platform keeps a permanent record. Your "quick confidential note" is stored on servers you don't control.
Sensitive client data sitting in email archives creates liability. If that account is breached years later, your client's information is exposed through no fault of theirs.
🔄 The Process — How Read & Burn Works
Five steps from compose to destruction. The message exists only long enough to be read — then it's gone forever.
Compose Your Confidential Message
Write your message in the Read & Burn composer. You can include text, and attach a file if needed — a document, an image, a spreadsheet. Everything you include will be encrypted and set to self-destruct.
Set a Mandatory Passphrase
Create a passphrase that your recipient will need to unlock the message. This is a required step — the secure link alone is not enough. Even if someone intercepts the link, they can't read the message without the passphrase.
Set View Limits & Expiry
Choose how many times the message can be viewed (1 to 5 views) and set an expiry window (1 hour to 7 days). Whichever limit is reached first triggers the self-destruct. One view and one hour? The message exists for exactly one reading.
Share the Secure Link
FileWalla generates a unique, one-time URL. Send this link to your recipient by email, text, or any channel. The recipient doesn't need a FileWalla account — they just click the link, enter the passphrase, and read the message.
Automatic Self-Destruction
Once the view limit is reached or the expiry time passes, the message is permanently destroyed. The encrypted data is wiped from the server, any attached files are shredded, and the secure link goes dead. There is no recovery — not by you, not by your recipient, not by FileWalla, not by anyone.
💡 The Difference — Read & Burn vs. Everything Else
Why "just send an email" isn't good enough when confidentiality matters.
| Feature | Email / Chat | Read & Burn |
|---|---|---|
| Message Encrypted | ❌ Plain text | ✅ AES-256 |
| Passphrase Protected | ❌ | ✅ Mandatory |
| Self-Destructs After Reading | ❌ Lives forever | ✅ Automatic |
| View Limit Control | ❌ Unlimited | ✅ 1–5 views |
| Time-Based Expiry | ❌ | ✅ 1hr – 7 days |
| Recipient Needs Account | ✅ Email account | ✅ No account needed |
| Can Be Forwarded | ⚠️ Freely | ✅ Passphrase blocks access |
| Stored on Sender's Server | ⚠️ Indefinitely | ✅ Destroyed after use |
Real-World Scenarios
Here's how professionals use Read & Burn every day.
⚖️ Settlement Offers
A lawyer sends a settlement figure to opposing counsel. The number needs to be communicated confidentially and shouldn't exist in email archives if negotiations change.
🧮 Tax Season SINs
An accountant needs a client's Social Insurance Number to file their return. Instead of asking by email (where it lives forever), they ask the client to send it via Read & Burn.
🏥 Lab Results
A doctor needs to share preliminary lab results with a specialist for consultation. The results are sensitive and shouldn't persist beyond the consultation.
🔑 Access Credentials
An IT admin needs to share temporary login credentials with a contractor. The credentials should not sit in a chat log or email after the contractor uses them.
💼 Salary Negotiations
An HR director sends a compensation offer to a candidate. The specific numbers are sensitive and should not circulate beyond the intended recipient.
🏦 Account Details
A financial advisor needs to share account numbers and routing information with a client for a wire transfer. This data should never sit in an email inbox.
Who Uses Read & Burn?
Lawyers
Privileged communications, settlement figures, and case-sensitive details
Accountants
SINs, financial statements, and tax documents during filing season
Healthcare
Patient records, lab results, and referral information
Financial Advisors
Account numbers, portfolio details, and investment instructions
📸 See It In Action — Read & Burn
Here's exactly what you see when you send a self-destructing message through FileWalla. Real screenshots from the platform — no guesswork.
A The Compose Screen
Enter the recipient's details — they don't need a FileWalla account. They'll receive a secure link by email to read your message.
Add a subject line for context — e.g., "Contract for Review." This helps you identify the message in your sent log later.
Write your confidential message here. Everything you type will be encrypted with AES-256 before it's stored — it's never saved in plain text.
Attach a document, image, or spreadsheet up to 10GB. The file is virus-scanned and encrypted alongside your message — it self-destructs together.
Set a memorable passphrase the recipient must enter to unlock the message. Share it by phone or text — never in the same email as the link.
Choose how long the message lives — from 1 hour to 7 days. After this window, the message is permanently destroyed whether it was read or not.
B Security Controls & Destruction Timer
Limit how many times the message can be read — from 1 to 5 views. Once the limit is reached, the message self-destructs immediately regardless of time remaining.
Get an email notification the moment your recipient opens the message. You'll know exactly when it was read — complete transparency.
Enable this to let the recipient reply with files and messages — no account needed. They log in using their email and the same passphrase you set. Access expires automatically.
The visual slider shows your chosen expiry — from 1 hour to 7 days. Click any point to change it. The gradient from green to red reminds you: the longer it lives, the higher the exposure risk.
One click to encrypt, scan, and send. Your recipient gets an email with a secure link — they enter the passphrase and read the message. After the view limit or expiry is reached, everything is permanently destroyed.
C Security Notice & Sent Message Log
A clear reminder that Read & Burn messages are ephemeral — once destroyed, FileWalla cannot retrieve them under any circumstances. This is by design, not a limitation.
Track every message you've sent — who received it, when it was sent, and its current status. Your complete audit trail in one place.
"Viewed" (green) means the recipient opened and read the message. "Pending" (yellow) means they haven't accessed it yet. You always know where things stand.
The red delete button lets you destroy a message immediately — even before the recipient reads it. Changed your mind? Shred it now. You're always in control.
Send Your First Self-Destructing Message
Start with a free trial — no credit card required. Read & Burn is included in all paid plans.
Start Free Trial →