Social media users woke up to a new feature on Threads this week — “ghost posts” that vanish after 24 hours. Meta rolled out the option in a move that echoes its own Instagram Stories format, aiming to spark more spontaneous sharing and lighter posting pressure.

Executives positioned the update as a way to encourage authentic expression without the weight of permanent content. Replies to ghost posts will land privately in users’ inboxes, and the posts will appear as faint dotted bubbles in the feed, signaling their temporary nature.

Analysts say Threads continues building momentum as a challenger to X, formerly Twitter. The app now boasts roughly 400 million monthly active users since launching in 2023. Industry watchers see ghost posts as another brick in Meta’s strategy to expand engagement and blur the lines between its platforms.

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