Threads, the social media app launched by Meta as a competitor to the X platform, is introducing a significant innovation to its users. The disappearing post system, common on popular social media platforms and messaging apps, has also been introduced to Threads. With its new update, the app is introducing temporary posts called “ghost posts.”

Threads introduces ghost post feature

With this new feature, posts shared by users appear in the main feed like regular posts. However, these posts automatically disappear from the system exactly 24 hours after being published. This demonstrates that Threads is taking a different approach to ephemeral content than existing approaches, such as Instagram’s Stories format or WhatsApp’s disappearing messages.

Ghost posts remain open to interaction. Followers can like and comment on these posts in the main feed. However, there is a significant limitation: Like and comment interactions are visible only to the person who shared the post.

Comments are sent directly to the user’s inbox, rather than being shared publicly. The post owner can respond to these comments privately. It’s worth noting that these comments are subject to the Private Message restriction, meaning that by default, only comments from followers can be sent to the Private Message box.

Users can change these settings within the app if they wish. This new approach allows users to share “unfiltered thoughts and fresh ideas, without the pressure of permanence” on the platform.

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