---
name: "pthread_detach"
section: "3"
platform: "macos"
package: "libpthread"
version: "539.100.4"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pthread_detach"
---

# pthread\_detach(3)

detach a thread

## NAME

**pthread\_detach** – detach a thread

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<pthread.h\>**

*int*\

**pthread\_detach**(*pthread\_t thread*);

## DESCRIPTION

The **pthread\_detach**() function is used to indicate to the implementation that storage for the thread *thread* can be reclaimed when the thread terminates. If *thread* has not terminated, **pthread\_detach**() will not cause it to terminate. The effect of multiple **pthread\_detach**() calls on the same target thread is unspecified.

## RETURN VALUES

If successful, the **pthread\_detach**() function will return zero. Otherwise an error number will be returned to indicate the error. Note that the function does not change the value of errno as it did for some drafts of the standard. These early drafts also passed a pointer to pthread\_t as the argument. Beware!

## ERRORS

The **pthread\_detach**() function will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  The implementation has detected that the value specified by *thread* does not refer to a joinable thread.

- \[ESRCH\]

  No thread could be found corresponding to that specified by the given thread ID, *thread*.

## SEE ALSO

[pthread\_join(3)](/pthread_join/3.md)

## STANDARDS

The **pthread\_detach**() function conforms to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1996 (“POSIX.1”).