Threads adds vanishing 'ghost posts' on a timer for those one-off hot takes

What you need to know

• Meta announced that it's rolling out "ghost posts" on Threads, aka disappearing posts, which disappear after 24 hours.
• Users making new posts should notice a toggleable option (it looks like a smiley face) that makes a ghost post, which shows its timer.
• All replies to a ghost post are sent to the creator's DMs, and Meta says this has launched in Threads today (Oct 27), so keep a look out.

Meta is bringing a feature to its Threads app that's all about making sure some posts are "here today and gone tomorrow."

This morning, Meta announced in a newsroom post that Threads will soon debut "ghost posts," also known as disappearing posts. The platform states that these new posts are launching today (Oct 27), giving users the ability to designate a post as a "ghost post." If selected, whatever you post will vanish within 24 hours. Meta states this is something users can use as a way to be "unfiltered" and post "fresh takes/thoughts" without "the pressure of permanence or polish."

When making a new post, users should soon notice a smiley face toggle with a disappearing thought bubble. If toggled, you will turn your static, "always there" post into a ghost. These posts have a dashed outline, so everyone knows what it is, as well as a timer that says how much time remains.

All replies to your ghost post are sent right to your DMs. You will see a snippet of the ghost post, just so you're aware of what someone is replying to. Moreover, only the creator can see who "liked" the post, too.

While Meta says this feature is launching today, we haven't yet noticed it appear in the Threads app. However, it should begin appearing for users as the week progresses.

The new meta on Threads

Ghost posts are just another way users can interact with others on Threads, and keep the experience feeling fresh. Meta highlights an update from September, which brought "text attachments." The main highlight in that update was the increased 10,000 text character limit for longer posts. Not only did this let users write even more, expanding on their ideas and thoughts, but Meta says it gives others a chance to post article excerpts to kickstart discussions.

Earlier this month, Threads rolled out yet another update that brought group chat support to the app. Users can now fully engage in group chats with up to 50 people. Expanding on this, Threads provides the option to customize your chat name while it prepares invite links for more people. Messaging others on Threads now also supports photos, videos, GIFs, and stickers, as well as "smart" privacy options.

Threads started rolling out its entire messaging experience, equipped with group chats, to users in the EU, too.