Meta’s Threads is getting its own version of ephemeral posting with a new feature the company is calling “ghost posts.” The temporary posts will be published within Threads’ main feed like any other post, but will disappear after 24 hours. And while other users can interact with ghost posts, only the original poster will be able to view likes and replies.
Instead of typical public-facing replies, replies to ghost posts will be routed directly to users’ inboxes, where they can opt to respond privately. In some cases, this could also mean that replies for ghost posts are more limited than replies to normal posts, as Meta’s default messaging settings limit DMs to followed accounts only (these settings can be tweaked in the Threads app).
In some ways, it’s not surprising Meta would add temporary posts to Threads as a way to encourage users there to share more. On Instagram, Stories are used far more than permanent grid posts. In a blog post, Meta describes the new feature as a way for people to “share unfiltered thoughts and fresh takes without the pressure of permanence or polish.”
But ephemeral formats haven’t always been successful on text-based platforms like Threads. Twitter briefly experimented with an ephemeral Stories like format it called “Fleets.” Then-CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly “grew to despise” the feature, and it was killed less than a year after it launched.
