After being spotted in testing back in June, Threads has now launched a live test of disappearing posts with selected users, aiming to boost engagement and interaction on its platform, which serves as a competitor to X (formerly Twitter). As shown in an example shared by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, the new ephemeral posting feature allows updates to vanish from the app after 24 hours when activated. Users with access can choose this option within their post-creation tools.
#Threads is working on temporary posts that last 24 hours 👀
ℹ️ Also all replies will be automatically deleted pic.twitter.com/tuZOfny0RQ
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) June 25, 2024
According to TechCrunch, Meta has confirmed that a small group of Threads users can now try out this feature, which is intended to give users more flexibility by not having their posts permanently linked to their identity in the app. The concern over social posts being indefinitely tied to one’s name online has repeatedly led to controversies, particularly when old, insensitive, or offensive posts from celebrities resurface during periods of heightened media scrutiny.
This concern is likely contributing to a decline in public social media posts, with more user engagement shifting to private messaging groups. Threads chief Adam Mosseri has been exploring solutions to address this issue for some time. Earlier in Threads’ development, Mosseri suggested auto-archiving posts to reduce the pressure associated with public posting, encouraging users to share more “raw and authentic content.” Other potential features included auto-deleting posts after 30 or 90 days, though user feedback indicated limited interest in such functionalities at that stage.
The introduction of disappearing posts follows a similar strategy, allowing Threads users to either archive or set their posts to self-destruct as they prefer. This approach is intended to alleviate anxiety around public posting on social apps, making it easier for users to move on from past statements and posts. This development also aligns with X’s recent decision to hide user Likes, aiming to reduce the pressure associated with interacting with controversial content.
