Instagram is taking a direct swipe at ephemeral content rivals with the launch of its new ‘Instants’ feature and an accompanying standalone app. Designed for spontaneous, unfiltered photo sharing, Instants aims to make casual interactions with friends faster and more immediate, echoing the early spirit of social media. The core ‘Instants’ feature allows users to quickly snap and share ephemeral photos directly through Instagram’s inbox, primarily with Close Friends or mutual followers.

These photos prioritize minimal editing, appear as a stack, and vanish automatically after being viewed. Users can react or reply within DMs, and shared Instants are privately archived for up to a year, offering a unique way to generate recap Stories. Adding another layer, Meta is also rolling out a standalone ‘Instants’ app in select regions. This experimental app provides lightning-fast camera access, leveraging existing Instagram credentials. While separate, any Instants shared through this app will seamlessly sync and remain visible across both platforms, ensuring a unified experience.

Critically, Instagram’s robust privacy and safety tools, including blocking, muting, and parental supervision features like screen time limits and notifications for teen downloads, extend fully to Instants. Screenshots and screen recordings are also disabled, reinforcing the ephemeral nature of the content.