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Meta is testing another Instagram-adjacent app called Instants, with features similar to those of disappearing photo-sharing services like BeReal, Locket, and Snapchat.
Instants asks users to take and share an in-the-moment photo, giving followers up to 24 hours to view it and one opportunity to do so. You can’t upload from your camera roll; you can only use the in-app camera tools, and you can’t make any edits to a photo you’re sharing.
Meta wants this to capture raw moments, using the tagline “real life, real quick.” This is to focus Instants on authenticity in what you're doing each day, unlike Instagram, which often prioritizes highly curated life moments or influencer content.
The app is in a testing phase, with access limited to those in Italy and Spain, according to a spokesperson speaking to TechCrunch. Users in both countries can download the app on Android and iOS, where the service has been live for a few days.
Your Instagram account is used to login, and it says “share and view instants from here or on Instagram.” The brand is keeping the tools closely connected, as it did with Threads, so you can quickly share your posts to Instagram Stories. That's also a benefit for Meta as the app gets more attention from its millions of active Instagram users.
A spokesperson told TechCrunch, “We’re exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like, and will listen to our community.” That suggests Instants' functionality may one day be available directly in the Instagram app if a separate service doesn’t gain traction.
Meta launched its own X alternative, called Threads, almost three years ago. Instagram is directly tied to Threads using the same account to sign in, but sits as a separate social media service away from the photo-sharing app.