Safe Sext: 5 Free Smartphone Apps That Keep Things Private

Sexting's kinda like real sex: there's no completely safe way to do it, but that's almost part of the fun, right? Studies show that one in five smartphone owners have used their devices to send explicit pictures of themselves, and it's probably safe to assume that most of those people have no plans to become involuntary Internet porn stars a la Anthony Weiner.

Fortunately, you don't have to hang up on sexting just yet; there are plenty of free apps available to decrease the risk that your sextual activities will be exposed. We've rounded up five of these e-condoms. Looking for extra peace of mind when sending sensitive shots to someone special? Consider protecting yourself with one of these apps.

Censored Camera

Censored Camera's main menu

What It Does: Even if you're using apps that automatically delete your flirty photos, there's nothing to stop someone from taking screenshots of your message and spreading them around the Web. Censored Camera lets you hide any identifying features by covering them with various images like swirls, stars and tabloid-style "CENSORED" bars. Whether hiding your face or that embarrassing Guns 'n Roses tattoo everyone knows about, you can sleep soundly knowing no one can prove that "nekkidpic.jpg" is actually you.

Censored Camera doesn't offer its own private messaging service for sending edited photos, so it's best used in conjunction with another app. Use it to doctor your photos before sending them to someone you love.

Pros: Censored Camera is fairly easy to use, and I got the hang of its tools within five minutes. Its effects can be resized and rotated, which means you can either just barely cover your face or hide everything but your sexy parts.

Cons: Quite frankly, some of this app's censor images are absolutely hideous. The worst offenders are the pixelized faces, which look like the stuff nightmares are made of.

Good luck getting turned on with that staring at you.

Fancy Snap

What It Does: Fancy Snap sets your sensitive transmission to self destruct in three, five, 10 or 15 seconds. After sending an image, its recipient will receive a text directing them to a link. This will open your message in their Web browser, at which time a "Mission:Impossible" style countdown begins.

This message will self-destruct in 5... 4...

Pros: The app keeps track of whether your messages are currently read or unread, and when they've been deleted. Fancy Snap doesn't require an account like other similar apps, allowing you to fire away whenever the mood strikes.

Cons: I found the short amount of time Fancy Snap keeps your pictures alive to be rather limiting. Its lengthiest option clocks in at only 15 seconds, which makes it great for sending tantalizing teases but not much else. If you want a more long term relationship with your photos, consider trying this next app.

Tiger Text

What It Does: While quite similar to Fancy Snap in the sense that it gives your messages an auto - delete feature, Tiger Text's time range stretches from five minutes to several days. Unlike Fancy Snap, all messages are stored within Tiger Text rather than showing up as links. However, this means you do need to set up an account before getting your sext on.

This puppy knows how to protect its privacy.

Pros: Because you can allow your pictures to stick around for a few days, Tiger Text is perfect for when someone special's gone for the weekend and you want to remind them of what they're missing. It's also quite secure, as messages are erased not only from both parties' phones but your cell phone provider's server as well.