Threads, the social media platform, is currently testing a new feature that allows users to set a 24-hour expiration timer on their posts. In line with this functionality, both the original post and any subsequent replies will automatically vanish after the set period, akin to the ‘Stories’ format popular on various platforms.
A Threads spokesperson confirmed that this feature is under trial with a select user group, following its initial discovery by developer Alessandro Paluzzi earlier in the summer. This concept bears resemblance to Twitter’s former Fleets feature, which ultimately did not gain widespread popularity. However, this ephemeral posting option could be a convenient solution for users who frequently delete their posts.
This development comes several months after Instagram’s chief, Adam Mosseri, revealed that Threads was exploring an auto-archiving function. This potential feature would allow users to pre-set a date for their posts to automatically become hidden from the feed. Despite this, feedback from Threads users has largely indicated a disinterest in automatic archiving, and as a result, the feature has not been rolled out on a larger scale.
Threads has recently reached a significant milestone with 200 million users as of early August and has also launched a new analytics feature named Insights. Insights is aimed at providing users, especially those with sizable followings, with detailed data on their account’s performance. Additionally, Meta has announced that the ability to schedule posts is in the pipeline, promising further enhancements to the user experience on Threads.
