3 min read
Meta’s Threads platform has introduced a new posting format called “Ghost Posts”, enabling users to publish updates that vanish from public view after 24 hours.
The feature was officially rolled out on October 27, 2025, and is part of Threads’ wider effort to emphasise casual, spontaneous engagement.
How Ghost Posts Work
When composing a new update in Threads, users can select a ghost shaped icon to mark the post as temporary. The update will then appear in followers’ feeds as a grey dotted chat bubble to signal its ephemeral nature.
After one day, the post is automatically archived and removed from public view, although the original poster retains access in their archive. Replies to ghost posts are directed privately into the user’s inbox rather than displaying publicly or showing like counts.
Additionally, ghost posts currently do not support image or video attachments, and they will not be shared externally via Threads’ Fediverse integrations.
Why Meta Introduced Ghost Posts
Meta says the launch is aimed at relieving the pressure users feel around permanent posts and encouraging more authentic sharing. In the company’s words, the feature allows users to “share unfiltered thoughts and fresh takes without the pressure of permanence or polish.”
It also positions Threads as a more flexible alternative to platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where users have historically turned to third party tools to manage temporary posts. The feature aligns with broader trends in social media highlighting ephemeral content and increased privacy controls.
Platform Context and User Impact
Threads, launched in 2023 by Meta as a challenger to X, already reported around 400 million active users as of August 2025.
The introduction of ghost posts extends Threads’ recent push into richer functionality, including longer posts (10,000 characters), group chats, topic based communities, and fediverse connectivity.
From a user perspective, the rise of ghost posts may enable bolder, more exploratory content: less concerned with curation or archival performance, more focused on real time expression. However, the success of the feature will depend on user uptake and habit change.
Strategic Implications for Meta
By enabling auto archiving posts in a differentiated way, Threads gives Meta an edge in the ongoing social app war. Ghost posts help differentiate Threads from its parent app Instagram and Facebook, where stories dominate, and from X, which lacks native post expiry functionality.
However, Meta will need to monitor how disappearing content affects user engagement, retention, advertising inventory, and content moderation. The privacy and ephemeral format may increase user comfort in posting more but could complicate moderation and brand safety protocols, especially since replies are private and visibility is limited.
