Instagram Launches Instants for Disappearing, Unedited Photo Sharing
Instagram has introduced Instants, a feature and standalone app for sharing photos that disappear after viewing and expire within 24 hours. Instants cannot be uploaded from the camera roll or edited, emphasizing real-time, authentic communication with close friends. Users capture live photos and share them via the Instagram inbox or the dedicated Instants app, which opens directly to the camera. Recipients can react with emojis or reply, and senders can unsend photos before they are opened. Privacy controls prevent screenshots and screen recordings, and photos are archived privately for the sender for up to one year. The feature extends to Teen Accounts and Family Center supervision tools. The standalone app is launching in select countries on iOS and Android, signaling Instagram's broader ambition for intimate visual communication beyond the main feed. Instants rolls out globally as an in-app feature starting today.
Key facts
- Instagram launched Instants, a disappearing photo-sharing feature.
- Instants cannot be uploaded from the camera roll or edited.
- Photos disappear after viewing and expire after 24 hours.
- Users can share with Close Friends list or mutual followers.
- Screenshots and screen recordings are blocked.
- Photos are archived privately for the sender for up to one year.
- A standalone Instants app is available in select countries on iOS and Android.
- Instants includes privacy controls like blocking, muting, and reporting.
Entities
Institutions
- Meta Newsroom