Meta has launched a standalone app called Instants, a minimalist photo-sharing tool built around candid, ephemeral content that disappears after being viewed once, as Instagram looks to recapture the casual social sharing that defined its early years.
The app, currently available in Spain and Italy on both iOS and Android, lets users share disappearing photos that can be viewed only once and remain accessible for up to 24 hours. Photos are captured with a single tap using the in-app camera, with no editing permitted and no uploads from a device’s camera roll allowed. Users can add text to their posts but cannot modify them further.
Each post carries the app’s slogan: “Real life, real quick.” Users can send Instants to mutual followers or a Close Friends list, and Instagram confirms these lists are shared across both apps.
Instagram had already been testing Instants as an in-app feature in certain regions before the standalone launch. Users can choose to access it either through the dedicated Instants app or within the standard Instagram app.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the test in a 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. We’re exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like, and will listen to our community.”
The move is a tacit acknowledgment from the world’s largest social network that the spontaneous, low-stakes sharing that made Instagram compelling in the first place has, over time, been buried under algorithm-driven recommendations, branded content and influencer posts. Instants draws direct comparisons to Snapchat, BeReal and Locket in its emphasis on unfiltered, real-time moments.
Meta has not indicated when, or whether, Instants will expand beyond Spain and Italy to other markets including the United States.
