Meta is once again taking a page out of its competitors’ playbooks. Instagram officially launched a new standalone app called Instants. According to TechCrunch, this app is currently being tested in Spain and Italy, focuses on raw, unedited, and disappearing photos—a move clearly aimed at reclaiming the authentic social sharing space currently held by Snapchat and BeReal.
What is the Instants App?
Instants is designed to be a low-pressure way to connect with friends. Unlike the main Instagram app, which has become a hub for polished influencer content and ads, Instants is all about speed and reality.
- No Edits allowed: You cannot use filters or edit your photos. The app’s tagline, Real life, real quick, reflects its mission to capture raw moments.
- Disappearing Media: Photos and videos sent through the app vanish after a single view or after 24 hours if left unopened.
- No Gallery Uploads: You must use the in-app camera to take a photo. You cannot upload existing pictures from your phone’s camera roll, ensuring that everything shared is happening in the moment.
How it Works
The app is deeply integrated with your existing Instagram account, meaning you don’t need to create a new profile or hopefully, it can be logged in using Meta’s new account center.
- Target Audience: You can share your Instants with mutual followers or your Close Friends list.
- Cross-Platform: Users can choose to view and send these disappearing photos either through the dedicated Instants app or directly within the Instagram DM tab.
- Simplified Interface: There are no likes, no public comments, and no complex algorithms. It opens directly to the camera to remove the friction between taking a photo and sending it.
Check out Instagram’s help center for user guides for different devices.
Why Now?
This isn’t Meta’s first attempt at this concept. Instants is actually a rebranded and expanded version of an experimental feature called Shots that was tested inside Instagram last year.
By spinning this into a standalone app, Meta is looking to capitalize on a shift in social behavior. As public feeds become more crowded, users are moving toward smaller, private circles. With Snapchat recently facing internal struggles and BeReal’s popularity dipping, Meta sees an opening to become the go-to platform for casual, unfiltered sharing.
Availability
Currently, the Instants app is available in App Store and Google Play users in Spain and Italy. Meta has not yet confirmed a global rollout or a release date for the United States, as they are still exploring multiple versions of the app based on initial feedback.
