Meta has launched Instants, a new standalone app from Instagram that lets users share disappearing photos with friends – photos that can only be viewed once and automatically expire after 24 hours.
The app is currently available on iOS and Android, though Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that the rollout is limited to Spain and Italy for now. The company says it had already been testing Instants as an in-app feature in select regions before spinning it out into a standalone product.
Instants is designed around speed and simplicity. The app opens directly to the camera so users can capture and send a photo in a single tap. There’s no option to edit the image or upload from a camera roll – everything must be shot in the moment using the app’s built-in camera. Users can add text to an “instant,” as these unedited snapshots are called, but no other modifications are allowed.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri highlighted the app in a post on Threads, and the company confirmed the launch to TechCrunch with an official statement. “To give people low-pressure ways to connect with friends, we’re testing an app called Instants to share casual photos and videos in the moment,” an Instagram spokesperson said. “We’re exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like, and will listen to our community.”
Users can share their instants with mutual followers or their Close Friends list – the same lists they use on the main Instagram app. Instants can also be shared and viewed within the main Instagram app itself, giving users the option to use either interface. The Play Store listing, which shows the app was last updated on April 19, currently reflects just over 100 downloads.
Instants is not entirely new in concept. Instagram has long offered ephemeral content through Stories, a feature it introduced in 2016 in a move widely compared to Snapchat. Instants draws from a similar playbook, borrowing ideas from platforms like Snapchat, BeReal, and Locket, which also center on quick, unfiltered sharing between close contacts.
No broader rollout timeline has been announced. Instagram says it will continue gathering feedback before making further decisions on the app’s future.
