The texting app that could land you in a whole lot of trouble

If you are someone who types a furious text message, only to reconsider and edit it before hitting ‘send,’ you may be in trouble.

The Beam Messenger app shows everything another person is typing in a text message as they type it.

This means that if your friend has the app, they could see the keys you press, including corrections and everything you choose not to send.

The Californian firm behind the free Android app claim it is ‘a first of its kind true real-time communications app’ that more closely mimics the way people to chat in person. 

For example, it lets people interject or comment in real-time, without having to wait for the other person to hit send.

And, if the recipient already knows a story that the sender is typing, they can tell them so they don’t waste time finishing the text.

Elsewhere, the app also means people can have conversations without ever hitting send, making them secure because no data is ever transferred and stored on a network.

TRACKING TYPING IN REAL TIME

On the web, sites can determine that a post is being typed by tracking code in the HTML form element of the post.

This form element is made up of HTML code that controls the boxes users type in to.

Each time characters are entered into one of these boxes, the app can track the changes in the HTML code.

Facebook uses this technology, for example, but the social network has stressed it can’t see the exact keys pressed, and it doesn’t monitor keystrokes. 

This means the code doesn’t reveal what is being typed.

However, Facebook can track when characters and words are typed, how many are typed, and if the typed characters are deleted or abandoned. 

Beam Messenger uses Text Watcher from Android that monitors HTML elements in a similar way. 

For every sentence, Beam also has an error checking mechanism to ensure the readability of the sentence. 

Beam's boss Alec Gordon told MailOnline the app does not monitor any messages that are being sent by the users.

Only messages that ever go up in database are those that cannot be currently delivered, thus waiting for the client device to reconnect, and then it's delivered and wiped. 

The app is currently working on the encryption part of the error checking, among other things, to ensure no information will be leaked if it's intercepted by a third party. 

Beam Messenger uses Text Watcher from Android that monitors HTML elements behind the scenes, as users type. 

For every sentence, Beam also has an error checking mechanism to ensure the readability of the sentence. 

Beam's boss Alec Gordon told MailOnline the app does not monitor any messages that are being sent by the users.

Only messages that ever go up in database are those that cannot be currently delivered, thus waiting for the client device to reconnect, and then it's delivered and wiped. 

The app is currently working on the encryption part of the error checking, among other things, to ensure no information will be leaked if it's intercepted by a third party. 

The Toronto-based developers added there is no delay between typing and seeing the words appear in the message window.

It calls this ‘beaming in’, and said it gives users the ability to ‘interrupt, interject, comment, and the like’.

‘While you are texting inside a bubble, without breaking, you are allowed to backtrack and jump forward at will.

‘Also you may delete the whole text altogether, gone from both devices in true real time fashion.’

An iOS app is 'coming soon.' 

A similar app, launched earlier this year called Ansa, lets users delete messages from other people’s phones.

Ansa works in a similar way to Snapchat, by automatically deleting messages, photos and videos seconds after they’ve been viewed.

However, unlike Snapchat, Ansa lets users also delete messages remotely, before they get a chance to read it.

Facebook research in December found that 70 per cent of users regularly write a comment or status, before deciding not to post it.

The study found that men are more likely to 'self-censor' their social network posts, compared to women, and this is especially the case if they have a lot of male friends.

The app (pictured) also means people can have conversations without ever hitting send, making them secure because no data is transferred and stored on a network. But, it is not known how the app itself tracks what is typed, and how much it stores on its own servers. MailOnline has contacted the firm for more information

Data scientists, including those at Facebook, can determine that a status or comment has been typed by tracking code in the HTML form element of each page.

This form element is made up of HTML code that controls the boxes Facebook users type in to, including the status update box.

Each time characters are entered into one of these boxes, scientists can track the changes in the HTML code. 

The researchers were also able to track typing in the comment box on statuses, photos and other posts.

To be clear, Facebook can’t track the exact keys pressed, and it doesn’t monitor keystrokes. This means the code doesn’t reveal what is being typed.

However, Facebook can track when characters and words are typed, how many are typed, and if the typed characters are deleted or abandoned.