Threads is reportedly testing a new feature for the platform that will allow users to publish posts that disappear after a certain period. These temporary posts can be visible for up to 24 hours, as per the report. The replies made underneath the posts will reportedly also be automatically deleted once the parent post is gone. Currently, the Meta-owned social media platform is said to be testing the feature with a small group of users and it is not known when it might be rolled out to the wider user base.
Threads Reportedly Testing Temporary Posts
Meta is testing a temporary posts feature with a limited number of users, the company confirmed to TechCruch. The development came after Threads told the publication in June that temporary posts were being built as an internal prototype.
Developer and tipster Alessandro Paluzzi reportedly made a temporary post on Friday to showcase the feature. In a screenshot added in the report, a timer can be seen running backwards to zero. The post reportedly disappears along with all the replies made under it, once the timer runs out.
While the feature’s banner did not highlight it, the publication claims any quote posts, which are reposts with an added quote, also disappears once the timer for the original post runs out. Notably, the company has been testing the temporary post feature for a few months.
It is said that temporary posts will not be visible on Thread’s fediverse network. This means if a user moves to Mastodon with their account, the temporary posts will not be added. This is likely done as Threads cannot delete a post on a different platform.
While the use case of such a feature might be limited, it is said that such a feature can help users make off-topic posts or posts that have a limited shelf-life and cannot be understood without specific context. For instance, someone doing a live commentary during an Apple or Samsung event could benefit from this feature.
Currently, it is unclear when the feature might be rolled out to the wider user base. It is also not known whether users can add specific time under 24 hours to automatically delete the post. These details might only be revealed once the feature has been rolled out to the public.