Threads is tacking a disappearing act onto its playbook. The social platform debuted “ghost posts,” which are super-similar to a regular post but automatically swipe out of your feed after 24 hours. Analogous to the rise of fleeting posts, the feature (which is activated by a ghost icon when composing) is meant to lower the stakes of posting — and avoid any anxiety about permanence.
What Threads ghost posts are and how they work
Ghost posts show up in feeds like any other update, but they have some interesting quirks. After 24 hours, they’re archived: removed from the public eye without actually being deleted from your account history. The engagement is low-stakes, too: replies appear in your inbox and only you can see who liked or replied. That cocktail also relieves some of the public scoreboard angst, while making conversations manageable.
Functionally, the control is simple. Simply tap the ghost icon before you hit publish. The post goes up, hits the feed, and vanishes with not much fanfare a little over a day later. It’s an old mechanic, but something that acts and feels like a normal post in your feed laid out side by side rather than a new “story.” That keeps behavior consistent with how users already use Threads.
Why ephemeral social posts matter to users today
And advertisers for years now have found incremental value in ephemeral formats across social platforms, where users more often post quickly and candidly. Instagram Stories ballooned to over 500 million daily users as of 2019, the company says, and Snapchat boasts well more than 400 million daily active users today. These norms emerged since ephemeral content diminishes the fear of posting “wrong” and values the instantaneous over the polished.
Research on how users behave confirms this. Surveys from groups like Pew Research Center also have found that younger users crave spaces where the content feels less formal and less permanent and where conversations can be timely without living on indefinitely. Ghost posts offer Threads a native, feed-native way to satisfy that preference without tacking on an entirely different product.
How creators and brands can use Threads ghost posts
Ghost posts are a proving ground for creators; they’re a trial run of sorts: jokes, takes, drafts — stuff that may or may not be sticky. If something strikes a chord, it can be reclaimed as its own post or extended to a thread. They’re a live, limited-time option for publishers and community managers that you don’t want to keep cluttering up your profiles once your event is over — whether that’s minutes or more than an hour.
Brands can employ them for flash promotions, behind-the-scenes snippets, or rapid-fire customer support during live moments. Because the author is the only one who sees likes and replies, that dynamic moves from public performance to private signal — useful for taking temperatures without giving off optics of low engagement.
Privacy and safety caveats for Threads ghost posts
Disappearing doesn’t mean untraceable. Like all social apps, there are screenshots possible — and recipients can share what they see while a ghost post is live. Threads also frames the feature as less about pressure than about risk. The company did not disclose how long archive versions persist on its servers or how the retention policy for enforcement would be triggered — a detail that will concern privacy-focused users.
On the moderation side, temporal tools have a spotty track record. They suppress feed clutter but can also be abused for harassment or misinformation flare-ups. The same reporting tools currently available in Threads are applicable, and redirecting replies to creators’ inboxes directly should help them keep up with feedback efficiently. That said, explicit guidance on reporting archived material would be nice to have for an added measure of confidence.
A common idea with a Threads twist on ephemerality
Twitter’s short-lived Fleets played with ephemeral ideas only to disappear; Snapchat has an entire culture obsessed with ephemerality; Instagram brought the format to huge scale over again. Threads’ play is to bury that ephemeral behavior within regular posts, rather than separating it out. That’s the kind of decision that might drive usage without sacrificing the experience in pieces.
The addition is among a flurry of product launches intended to deepen engagement. Threads has brought longer text posts (up to 10,000 characters) and Communities for live events and niche interests. Threads registers just under 150 million monthly active users, Meta said on an early-2024 earnings call; it has a designed-for-lurkers feature in ghost posts to get them to start regular posting.
How to use Threads ghost posts the right way
Use them for newsy reactions, hot takes during events, or quick calls for feedback. Set expectations, don’t bury time-sensitive updates — and maybe follow up with a permanent summary if the conversation is valuable. Think of the 24-hour time frame as a limitation to fool around with, not a protective cloak that ensures privacy.
Ghost posts aren’t going to reinvent the feed, but they might make Threads feel a bit more casual and conversational. If the feature takes off, prepare to be bombarded with briefer updates — and a platform that feels somewhat less like a scrapbook and somewhat more like live conversation.
