Instagram Launches Instants, a Disappearing Photo Feature
Meta launched Instants on May 13, a Snapchat-like tool for sending unedited, disappearing photos integrated into Instagram and as a standalone app in select countries.
CNETInstagram Introduces Instants, Meta's New Private Photo Sharing App
WiredInstagram’s New Instants App Is a Snapchat Clone for Thirst Traps
Business InsiderInstagram is rolling out a new app that's a mix of Snapchat and BeReal
The VergeInstagram hits the copy button again with new disappearing Instants photos
Overview
Instagram launched Instants, a photo-dumping feature integrated into Instagram and available as a standalone app, on May 13.
Instants lets users send unedited, disappearing still photos to Close Friends or mutual followers, and Instagram says recipients cannot take screenshots.
Meta said Instants is intended to give users a more casual, low-pressure way to connect, and company spokespeople said Instagram's community standards, safety tools and parental controls apply.
Instants launched within Instagram worldwide on May 13 and is available as a standalone iOS and Android app in select countries, including the US, Spain and Italy, with a prior rollout in Italy and Spain in April.
Meta is trialing paid subscriptions that offer extra features, and privacy concerns persist because users can still photograph screens or use screen-recording tools despite Instagram's screenshot limits.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Instagram's Instants cautiously, emphasizing privacy risks through evaluative language ("privacy concerns abound," "it goes without saying") and highlighting omissions (spokesperson not responding, minimal developer perspective). Editorial choices prioritize potential misuse and encryption rollback, while quotes are scarce and mainly paraphrase product limitations rather than balanced technical context.