Instagram has officially launched “Instant” globally on May 13 which is a new feature totally focused on sharing unfiltered moments with your friends and loved ones. This feature combines elements from apps like Snapchat, BeReal, and Locket, allowing users to send disappearing photos that can only be viewed once. Instants app is created to bring back the casual and authentic sharing on Instagram. Unlike the platform’s polished posts and carefully curated feeds, Instagram Instants purely focuses on real-time moments to be captured directly from the in-app camera without filters or editing.
This feature allows users to share disappearing photos with Close Friends or mutual followers. The photos remain visible for up to 24 hours but can only be opened once by recipients. Friends can react using emojis, reply through DMs, or send their own Instant back in response.
How to use Instagram Instants
- Open the Instagram inbox and tap the small stack of photos at the bottom-right corner.
- Capture a photo directly using Instagram’s in-app camera.
- Add a caption if you want, but editing tools and gallery uploads are disabled.
- Choose whether to share the Instant with Close Friends or mutual followers.
- Tap the share button to send your Instant.
- Friends can react, reply, or send their own Instant back.
- Shared Instants disappear after being viewed and expire completely after 24 hours.
As per Instagram the idea they are focusing on Instants is to pull users to share their moments as they happen very real and with no filters. Users would be able to upload their photos from the gallery app or edited image before pushing it. While only captions can be added, and the overall experience is intentionally minimal and spontaneous.
Although the company confirmed that their testing for the “Instants” app as a standalone application in selected markets such as Spain and Italy is complete. The company is additionally rolling out a companion app that offers quicker camera access for faster sharing.
One critical privacy focused add on is that users can’t take screenshots or do any type of screen recordings of shared Instants. If someone accidentally sends a photo, an “Undo” option lets them unsend it before it is viewed.
Instagram at the current moment also allows users to mute or temporarily disable Instants if they don’t want to receive them. Users can hold the stack of Instants in their inbox and swipe right to pause the feature temporarily.
With this new feature on the Instagram app they appear to be shifting back toward private and low effort social sharing. However, the company enters a space already explored by BeReal and Snapchat, while many users already use Instagram Stories for quick and casual updates.
