Generating and maintaining group messaging threads for ephemeral content

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first client device associated with a first user, a first selection to include a group messaging graphical element within ephemeral content in a social networking feed;

identifying one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content;

providing, based on the first selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the ephemeral content;

generating, by at least one processor, a group messaging thread associated with the group messaging graphical element posted in the social networking feed;

receiving, from a second client device associated with a second user, a second selection of the second user selecting the group messaging graphical element within the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed;

providing, to the first user via the first client device and in response to detecting the second selection, a notification of the second user requesting to join the group messaging thread associated with the ephemeral content; and

based on determining that the one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content has been met, removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the first client device, user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread; and

wherein generating the group messaging thread occurs in response to receiving the user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the group messaging thread comprises group message content separate from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed;

the social networking feed comprises the ephemeral content; and

the social networking feed is separate from the group messaging thread.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, based on the second selection, a request to the first client device to approve the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread;

receiving, via the first client device, approval to add the second user to the group messaging thread;

providing, based on receiving the approval, the second user with access to the group messaging thread; and

providing, to the second client device, a notification that the second user has been authorized to join the group messaging thread.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the group messaging graphical element comprises a graphical element that overlays a portion of the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed; and

receiving the first selection comprises receiving, via the first client device associated with the first user, a selection of the group messaging graphical element from a plurality of graphical elements.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

modifying the group messaging graphical element to include an expiration time that triggers deletion of the group messaging thread; and

wherein the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed further comprises a countdown graphical element indicating the expiration time.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first user is directly connected to the second user via a networking system; and

automatically providing the second user access to the group messaging thread based on the first user being directly connected to the second user.

8. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the one or more criteria comprise a maximum membership threshold designating a highest number of users permitted to join the group messaging thread; and

further comprising, in response to determining that the group messaging thread includes a number of members equal to the maximum membership threshold, removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining that the one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content has been met by:

determining that the number of members in the group messaging thread is below the maximum membership threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of members in the group messaging thread is below the maximum membership threshold, re-adding the group messaging graphical element to the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the first client device, a third selection requesting generation of additional ephemeral content;

providing the group messaging graphical element as a selectable graphical element to the first client device during creation of additional ephemeral content;

receiving, from the first client device, a fourth selection to include the group messaging graphical element within the additional ephemeral content;

associating the additional ephemeral content with the group messaging thread based on including the group messaging graphical element within the additional ephemeral content; and

providing, based on the fourth selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the additional ephemeral content.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, from a first client device associated with a first user, a first selection to include a group messaging graphical element within ephemeral content in a social networking feed;

identify one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content;

provide, based on the first selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the ephemeral content;

generate a group messaging thread associated with the group messaging graphical element posted in the social networking feed;

receive, from a second client device associated with a second user, a second selection of the second user selecting the group messaging graphical element within the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed;

provide, to the first user via the first client device and in response to detecting the second selection, a notification of the second user requesting to join the group messaging thread associated with the ephemeral content; and

based on determining that the one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content has been met, remove the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, from the first client device, user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread; and

wherein generating the group messaging thread is in response to receiving the user input selecting the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

provide, based on the second selection, a request to the first client device to approve the second user for inclusion in the group messaging thread;

receive, via the first client device, approval to add the second user to the group messaging thread;

provide, based on receiving the approval, the second user with access to the group messaging thread; and

provide, to the second client device, a notification that the second user has been authorized to join the group messaging thread.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

modify the group messaging graphical element to include an expiration time that triggers deletion of the group messaging thread; and

wherein the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed further comprises a countdown graphical element indicating the expiration time.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

determine that the first user is directly connected to the second user via a networking system; and

automatically provide the second user access to the group messaging thread based on the first user being directly connected to the second user.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to:

receive, from a first client device associated with a first user, a first selection to include a group messaging graphical element within ephemeral content in a social networking feed;

identify one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content;

provide, based on the first selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the ephemeral content;

generate a group messaging thread associated with the group messaging graphical element posted in the social networking feed;

receive, from a second client device associated with a second user, a second selection of the second user selecting the group messaging graphical element within the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed;

provide, to the first user via the first client device and in response to detecting the second selection, a notification of the second user requesting to join the group messaging thread associated with the ephemeral content; and

based on determining that the one or more criteria for removing the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content has been met, remove the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

in response to determining that the group messaging thread includes a number of members equal to a maximum membership threshold, remove the group messaging graphical element from the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

determining that a number of members in the group messaging thread is below a maximum membership threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of members in the group messaging thread is below the maximum membership threshold, re-adding the group messaging graphical element to the ephemeral content posted in the social networking feed.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

receive, from the first client device, a third selection requesting generation of additional ephemeral content;

provide the group messaging graphical element as a selectable graphical element to the first client device during creation of additional ephemeral content;

receive, from the first client device, a fourth selection to include the group messaging graphical element within the additional ephemeral content;

associate the additional ephemeral content with group messaging thread based on including the group messaging graphical element within the additional ephemeral content; and

provide, based on the fourth selection, the group messaging graphical element to be displayed within the additional ephemeral content.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

receive, from the first client device, the ephemeral content;

analyze the ephemeral content to identify a plurality of group messaging graphical elements; and

provide the plurality of group messaging graphical elements to the first client device.