Meta launches ‘ghost posts’ that disappear after 24 hours on Threads

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox

Replies to "ghost posts" on Meta's Threads will be sent to users’ messaging inboxes, not allowing other users to see who has liked and replied.

Replies to “ghost posts” on Meta’s Threads will be sent to users’ messaging inboxes, not allowing others to see who has “liked” and replied.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Google Preferred Source badge
  • Meta launched "ghost posts" on Threads, a feature that archives posts after 24 hours.
  • This aims to increase Threads usage by offering a low-pressure sharing option.
  • Ghost posts appear greyed-out and replies go to inboxes.

AI generated

SAN FRANCISCO – Social media giant Meta launched on Oct 27 posts – dubbed “ghost posts” – that are automatically archived 24 hours after being uploaded on its Threads app, mimicking a popular feature available on its other platforms.

The feature is aimed at boosting usage, expanding options for users to share posts on the app, similar to the widely used “stories” employed across Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.

Any replies to ghost posts will be sent to users’ messaging inboxes, not allowing other users to see who has “liked” and replied.

“You can share unfiltered thoughts and fresh takes without the pressure of permanence or polish,” Meta said.

Users can create this type of post by toggling the ghost icon in the post creation menu, and the posts will appear as a grayed-out dotted chat bubble in their feed to distinguish them from regular posts.

Threads was launched in 2023 as a competitor to billionaire Elon Musk’s X.

As of August 2025, Threads had 400 million active users. REUTERS

See more on