Social media platform Instagram has launched a new feature called Instants, allowing users to share quick disappearing photos with friends directly through direct messages. The feature started rolling out globally on May 13, while a separate Instants app is also being tested in selected countries on both iOS and Android.
Instants is designed for casual and unedited photo sharing. According to the company, the feature aims to reduce the pressure of posting highly polished content on social media platforms. Users can send real-time photos that disappear after being viewed.
The feature is available inside Instagram’s inbox or direct messages section. Users can share photos either with their Close Friends list or with mutual followers. Friends can react, reply, and send their own Instants through chats.
Instagram has also introduced additional tools, including archive support, recap options, and an undo feature. Shared Instants will remain privately stored in a user’s archive for up to 1 year and can later be used in Instagram Stories recaps. Users can also remove a shared photo before it is viewed by others using the undo option.
To access the feature, users need to open Instagram, go to the inbox section, tap the stack-of-photos icon, take a picture, add a caption if required, select recipients, and tap the share button. The undo feature can be used immediately after sharing.
The company is also testing a standalone Instants app that reportedly opens directly into the camera for faster sharing. Users can log in using their existing Instagram accounts, and photos shared through the app will also appear inside Instagram.
Instagram confirmed that all existing safety and privacy tools, including block, mute, and restrict options, will continue to work with Instants. The company also said Teen Account protections and parental supervision tools will automatically apply to the feature.
Additional safety measures include shared daily time limits, Sleep Mode between 10 PM and 7 AM, and notifications for parents when supervised teens first download the standalone app. Instagram also stated that Instants cannot be screenshot or screen-recorded.
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