Threads Ghost Posts: What are Disappearing Posts?

Threads Introduces Disappearing “Ghost Posts” Feature

Meta’s platform, Threads, a competitor to X, is implementing a new functionality allowing users to share content that automatically archives itself after 24 hours. This feature is available to the app’s extensive user base of over 400 million individuals monthly.

The new option, named “ghost posts,” will be accessible globally to all Threads users starting Monday.

Creating and Identifying Ghost Posts

Users can now generate a ghost post on their mobile devices by activating the designated “ghost” icon located on the app’s composition screen. Published ghost posts will be visually distinct in other users’ timelines, appearing with a dotted conversation bubble surrounding them.

Replies to these posts from other users, whether on desktop or mobile, are directed to the original poster’s direct messages (DMs). These responses will not be publicly visible within the main timeline.

Engagement and Visibility

Beneath each ghost post, indicators will display the number of likes and replies received, represented by smiley-faced icons. However, only the post’s author can view the precise count of engagement and identify the individuals who interacted with the post.

After the 24-hour period concludes, the posts are removed from the public timeline but remain accessible to the original poster within the “archived” section, found in the main settings menu.

It’s important to note that message request settings influence reply access. If message requests are disabled, users you do not follow cannot reply to your ghost posts. Conversely, if enabled, replies from non-followers will be routed to your message request inbox. These settings can be adjusted via the drop-down menu on your profile page.

Rationale and Competitive Context

According to Meta, the intention behind this feature is to foster a more relaxed and casual sharing environment within the Threads feed.

This addition also positions Threads to more effectively compete with Elon Musk’s X, where users currently require third-party services – often subscription-based – to remove older posts if they prefer not to manually delete them.

Past Attempts at Ephemeral Content

The concept of disappearing posts isn’t entirely new to text-based social networks. Prior to its rebranding as X, Twitter experimented with a similar feature called Fleets in 2020, presented as disappearing Stories. However, this feature was discontinued the following year due to limited user adoption.

Meta, however, maintains a belief in the potential of ephemeral content, evidenced by the success of Stories on Instagram and Facebook. The company anticipates that ghost posts will encourage users to share more spontaneous thoughts, participate in dynamic conversations, and explore new content formats on Threads.

Ongoing Development of Threads

Since its launch in July 2023, Meta has been consistently updating and improving Threads. Recent additions include custom feeds, direct messaging capabilities, integration with the fediverse (connecting Threads to networks like Mastodon), and expanded character limits – now supporting up to 10,000 characters through text attachments. Furthermore, tools for hiding spoilers and the introduction of interest-based communities have been implemented.