Meta announced on May 13 the launch of Instants, a new way for users to share photos with their Close Friends or mutual followers on Instagram. Photos shared through Instants disappear after they are viewed and cannot be accessed after 24 hours. Users are unable to edit these photos before sending them, which Meta said is intended to encourage authentic sharing in real time.
Instants can be accessed by tapping the mini pile of photos at the bottom right corner of the Instagram inbox or by using a separate Instants app, available in select countries for iOS and Android devices. The company said that users must take a photo in real time using the camera—uploads from the phone’s gallery are not allowed—and may add a caption but no further edits.
Users can choose to send their Instant either to Close Friends or followers whom they follow back. Recipients have options to react with emojis, reply, or send instants back. Once viewed, instants disappear from friends’ inboxes.
The Instants app offers additional features such as an archive where shared instants are saved privately for up to one year and can be compiled into recaps posted as Instagram Stories. Other functions include preventing screenshots or recordings of instants, an undo button for unsending messages before they are seen, and controls like snooze to temporarily stop receiving instants.
All safety and privacy protections already present on Instagram apply to Instants as well. Controls such as Block, Mute, and Restrict remain active so users can limit who sends them instants. For teens, integration with Teen Accounts and Family Center ensures that existing parental supervision extends automatically to Instants without extra setup required. Protections include shared time limits across both apps, sleep mode restricting notifications between 10PM and 7AM by default for teens, use of all standard safety tools within Instants, and parent notification when a supervised teen downloads the app.
Instants is now available globally within Instagram as well as through its standalone app in selected countries.
