Instagram has introduced a new disappearing photo feature called Instants.
The feature is available both inside the main Instagram app and through a new standalone app that also carries the Instants name.
Private Photo Sharing
Instants is designed around spontaneous photo sharing between friends. Photos shared through the feature disappear after recipients view them, though users can react and reply before the images vanish, just like Snapchat.
Instagram said the photos remain stored in a private archive for up to one year and can later be shared as recap stories.
How It Works
Inside the main Instagram app, users can access Instants through the DM inbox by tapping the photo stack icon located in the bottom right corner.
The feature offers limited editing controls. Users can only add captions before sending photos. Instagram does not allow filters, editing tools, or uploads from the camera roll for Instants posts.
Users can choose to share photos with close friends or mutual followers before sending them. An undo button also allows users to remove an Instant shortly after sending it if they change their mind.
Managing Friends’ Instants
Instagram also added controls for managing incoming Instants.
Users can temporarily snooze friends’ Instants by holding the inbox icon and swiping right. Swiping the other direction restores visibility.
Standalone App Testing
Instagram said it has been testing the dedicated Instants app in selected countries on both iOS and Android.
According to the company, some users wanted faster access to the camera experience without navigating the larger Instagram app.
Privacy and Teen Safety
The Instants feature includes Instagram’s existing privacy and safety protections, including blocking and muting functions. Teen account protections are also applied automatically.
These include shared screen time limits, screenshot and screen recording restrictions, and limited access between 10 PM and 7 AM by default.
Parents supervising teen accounts will also receive notifications if the Instants app is downloaded.
This is not the first time Instagram has introduced products competing with platforms such as Snapchat and BeReal.
In 2014, Instagram launched Bolt, a separate app focused on fast photo sharing.
The company also introduced Candid Stories four years ago, a feature widely compared with BeReal.
