Transmitting and receiving self-destructing messages

A device may receive, from a first user device, a request to transmit a message to a user of a second user device. The request may include particular information indicating that content of the message is to be displayed to the user for a particular amount of time. The device may encrypt, based on receiving the request and using a key, the content of the message to obtain an encrypted message. The device may transmit the encrypted message to the second user device and receive, from the second user device, a request for the key. The device may transmit, to the second user device, the key and information identifying the particular amount of time to cause the second user device to decrypt the encrypted message, using the key, to obtain a decrypted message and cause the second user device to delete the decrypted message after the particular amount of time.