Instagram is testing a new app called Instants that focuses on quick, one-time photo sharing with close friends, as the company looks to bring back simple and casual interactions on its platform. The app is currently available in Spain and Italy, and it lets users send photos that disappear after one view while remaining accessible for up to 24 hours.
Instants keeps things simple by allowing users to capture a photo with a single tap using the in-app camera, while blocking uploads from the camera roll and limiting editing options to only adding text. This approach keeps content raw and immediate, which aligns with how people share moments in real life without filters or heavy edits.
How Instants Works
Users can share these photos with mutual followers or a Close Friends list, and both lists remain consistent across Instagram and the Instants app. The company also allows users to access Instants either as a standalone app or as a feature within Instagram, which gives flexibility depending on how people prefer to use it.
A spokesperson said, “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,” and added, “We’re exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like, and will listen to our community.”
Instants draws ideas from apps like Snapchat and BeReal, but its success depends on whether users see value in a separate app when Instagram Stories already offers similar quick sharing features.
