Instagram Launches New Disappearing Photo Feature and App Called Instants

Instagram is introducing a new disappearing-photo feature called Instants. The feature is available inside the main Instagram app as well as through a separate standalone app that also carries the Instants name.

The goal of Instants is to encourage spontaneous photo sharing, similar to how Instagram functioned in its early days before evolving into a platform heavily focused on influencers. Photos shared through Instants disappear after friends view them, though users can react and reply to the images. The photos remain stored in a private archive for up to a year, and users can later compile them into recaps to share as Stories.

Within the main Instagram app, users can access Instants through their DM inbox by tapping the photo stack icon located in the bottom-right corner. Photos can only be modified by adding a caption, as the feature does not include filters or editing tools. Users also cannot upload existing images from their camera roll.

After taking a photo, users can choose whether to send it to close friends or mutual followers before sharing it. An undo option briefly appears, allowing users to remove the Instant before it becomes visible to recipients.

Users can also manage incoming Instants from friends. Holding the icon in the inbox and swiping right snoozes the feature, while swiping left restores visibility.

Regarding the standalone Instants app, Instagram said it has been testing the experience on both iOS and Android in selected countries. In a blog post, the company explained that feedback from users showed there was demand for a faster and simpler way to access the camera.

The Instants feature and app include the same safety and privacy protections already available across Instagram, including muting and blocking tools. Teen account supervision settings are automatically applied to Instants, including shared time limits, protections against screenshots and screen recordings, and restricted access by default between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Parents supervising teen accounts will also receive a notification if the Instants app is downloaded.

This is not the first time Instagram has introduced features similar to competitors such as Snapchat and BeReal. Instagram previously found major success with Stories after adopting the disappearing-content format popularized by Snapchat. In 2014, the company launched a photo-sharing app called Bolt, and four years ago it introduced Candid Stories, a feature compared to BeReal.