iPhone 7 event: Apple sends out mysterious ghost tweets before 7 September launch

The full tweet reads: 'September 7 at 10 a.m. PDT. Watch the event on Apple.co/live. RT for a reminder on event day. #AppleEvent'

(File Photo) Apple is using Twitter to remind people about its big event, without anyone ever knowing that it has done (George Frey/Getty Images)

Apple is sending out secret ghost tweets ahead of its biggest event of the year.

The company woke up it's entirely dormant Twitter feed this week, to much speculation about what it was up to.

But at least one of the reasons has since become clear – Apple is using Twitter to remind people about its big event, without anyone ever knowing that it has done.

When a user heads to the @Apple account, it looks dormant: a message appears informing the user that the company "hasn't tweeted yet".

But that isn't true, at least entirely, because people are seeing Apple tweets turn up in their Twitter feed.

The full tweet reads: "September 7 at 10 a.m. PDT. Watch the event on Apple.co/live. RT for a reminder on event day. #AppleEvent".

It also includes the same blurry picture that came on the invite to the event – and is probably a big clue to what's going to be announced.

The phantom messages appear to be the result of Apple buying up sponsored tweets without the tweet ever actually existing before it is paid-for.

It's not a common strategy at all, since most companies simply pay to increase the reach of a tweet they have already sent, and it's not entirely clear how it works.

But it means that some people will see a tweet from the company, if Twitter's data shows that they will be interested in it.

The tweet even appears to have special powers: retweeting it gives the user a reminder of the event on the day it happens.

The custom tweet includes another unusual – and expensive – product from Twitter: the custom hashtag emoji. Anyone tweeting the words #AppleEvent will find the Apple logo added next to their message.