Instagram takes on Snapchat with Instants app, lets you share photos that disappear after 24 hours

Instagram is introducing 'Instants,' an image-sharing feature which will only be available for 24 hours and can be viewed only once. Here is more about Instants.

In Short

• Instagram rolling out Instants
• It is a photo-sharing feature
• Both iOS and Android devices can install it

Instagram, the Meta-owned social media platform, has a history of adopting popular features from rivals. Short-form videos, first popularised by TikTok, are now widely known as Reels on Instagram. Similarly, the Stories format was introduced by Snapchat in 2013 before Instagram brought its own version in 2016 and made it mainstream. Now, it appears to be copying the core feature of Snapchat, albeit with a slight difference. The platform is rolling out a new image-sharing feature called “Instants.” It will let users share disappearing photos with others, which can be viewed only once and will remain available for 24 hours.

The 24-hour timeline is one of the key differences compared to Snapchat, which doesn’t follow a strict viewing limit like this. To keep things more real and unfiltered, the feature only allows users to capture a photo in a single tap, with no editing options. Users also can’t upload images from their camera roll, meaning all content must be captured and shared through the in-app camera. While you can add text to your “Instants,” these unedited photos can’t be modified any further.

Notably, Instagram has been testing this feature for some time in select regions. The app is currently available in Spain and Italy, and can be accessed on both iOS and Android devices. The company says users can choose to use ‘Instants’ either within the main Instagram app or through a dedicated Instants app.

Apart from Snapchat, similar features were already introduced by other social media platforms like Locket and BeReal before Instagram, both of which focus on authentic and ephemeral content.

Alongside testing new features like “Instants,” Instagram is also refining its core experience with smaller but useful updates. The platform recently introduced the ability to edit comments after posting, giving users a 15-minute window to fix mistakes or update their thoughts without deleting the entire comment. Once edited, a label is added for transparency. This brings Instagram closer to other Meta platforms like WhatsApp, which already support message editing. Recently, the company also introduced Teen Accounts in India, offering stricter content filters, safer interactions, and more control for parents.

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