Instagram launches ephemeral photo feature 'Instants' globally
The new format, which mimics competitors Snapchat and BeReal, aims to encourage casual sharing among close friends while blocking screenshots and screen recordings.
Instagram has globally launched 'Instants', a new ephemeral photo-sharing format designed for casual, uneditable images that disappear after 24 hours or once viewed by the recipient. The feature is accessible within the Instagram app’s direct message inbox and is being tested as a standalone mobile application in select countries, including Italy and Spain. This initiative draws functional elements from competitors such as Snapchat, BeReal, and Locket, aiming to address a decline in frequent profile grid posts by fostering more intimate digital exchanges.
Users can access the feature within the main Instagram app by tapping a mini photo stack icon located in the bottom-right corner of their direct message inbox. Once shared, recipients can react with emojis or send replies via direct messages. The photos are viewable only once and remain accessible for 24 hours before disappearing for the recipient. To preserve the casual nature of the exchange, Instagram has disabled screenshot and screen recording capabilities for these images.
While the content vanishes for recipients, senders retain an archive of their own Instants for up to one year. This allows users to reshare their posts as a recap to their Instagram Stories if desired. Senders also retain the ability to undo sending an Instant immediately after posting or delete it from their archive. The standalone Instants app, which provides immediate access to the camera, requires only an Instagram account and allows users to share images that appear on friends' main Instagram feeds, and vice versa.
Instagram boss Adam Mosseri noted that while sharing personal moments is core to the platform, many users no longer share frequently to their profile grids. In testing, the company found that people tend to use Instants to share much more casual and authentic moments about their day. The standalone app, which first appeared in Italy and Spain in April, is currently being evaluated to determine how the community uses the distinct product and how it might evolve based on user behaviour.
The standalone application remains in a testing phase in Italy and Spain, with no specific timeline provided for a global rollout or permanent status. It remains unclear how long the app will stay in testing or whether it will be fully integrated into the main app or kept separate in the long term. The specific metrics or user adoption rates that will determine the future evolution of the feature have not been disclosed by the company.
