Tech giants have increasingly turned to end-to-end encryption to protect our online messages, and now Facebook is joining the trend, Digital Spy said.

Called "Secret Conversations", the optional feature is currently being tested on a select few, allowing them to switch from GIF-filled, open messaging to a more serious, private thread.

The switchover means that, in theory, nobody but the users in the conversation — not even Facebook — will be able to access the messages.

Facebook's also confirmed that the proposed feature will also include an optional time-out period, similar to Snapchat, so messages of the secret variety disappear from view after a certain time.

Unlike the normal streams on Messenger, your Secret Conversations won't be supported by GIFs, videos or payments just yet, and messages can also only be viewed on one device.

The social network plans to open up its limited testing to a larger group this summer to gather further feedback.