Threads introduces ‘Ghost Posts’ that vanish after 24 hours

Meta’s social platform Threads has launched a new feature called “Ghost Posts”, allowing users to share temporary content that automatically disappears after 24 hours. The feature, now rolling out globally, enables the app’s 400 million monthly users to post more freely without the permanence of traditional posts.

When composing a post on mobile, users can toggle a ghost icon to activate the feature. These posts appear in followers’ feeds with a distinctive greyed-out chat bubble, visually differentiating them from standard posts.

Engagement works differently too — replies to Ghost Posts are sent directly to the creator’s inbox rather than appearing publicly. While engagement indicators such as likes and replies are shown via smiley-face icons, only the original poster can view the exact numbers and identities of those who interacted.

After 24 hours, Ghost Posts vanish from public view but remain archived privately in the user’s settings menu, allowing creators to revisit or unarchive them later. Meta clarified that, unlike disappearing messages, these posts can be recovered at any time.

The company said the feature is designed to foster “authentic, spontaneous expression” by reducing the pressure of permanence. “We believe users will feel more comfortable sharing unfiltered thoughts or live updates knowing the posts won’t remain on their profile indefinitely,” Meta stated.

The launch is part of Threads’ continued evolution since its debut in 2023. Over the past two years, the platform has added 10,000-character posts, spoiler-hiding tools, and interest-based communities. The new feature draws comparisons to Twitter’s short-lived Fleets experiment from 2020–2021, but Meta remains confident, citing the sustained success of disappearing Stories on Instagram and Facebook.