Social media giant spins off new app for disappearing photos — sound familiar?
Source: Android Authority
TL;DR
- Instagram has launched Instants, a new standalone app for sending disappearing photos to friends.
- The app opens straight to the camera, and photos can’t be viewed again once they’re gone or after 24 hours.
- Instagram already had this messaging function, but Meta has spun it into its own Snapchat‑style app.
Launch & Announcement
When Meta launched Threads in 2023, the goal was clear: a Twitter‑like experience.
Now Meta is trying a similar strategy with its latest Instagram spin‑off, Instants, which resembles Snapchat more than anything else.
The new app was highlighted in a Threads post (via 9to5Google) from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, while the Google Play Store listing provides the key details. Instants is described as an app from Instagram that lets you share disappearing photos with friends and “connect with your favorite people over life’s little moments.”
How Instants Works
- The app opens directly to the camera, allowing you to capture and send photos instantly.
- Shared photos disappear after they’re viewed or after 24 hours, with no option to view them again.
- Disappearing photos can be shared and viewed both within Instants and the main Instagram app.
Why a Separate App?
Instants essentially extracts the quick, in‑the‑moment sharing feature that already existed inside Instagram and gives it a dedicated experience. This move appears to be a direct attempt to compete with Snapchat, which has long dominated fast, casual photo sharing among friends.
Early Adoption
- The Play Store listing shows the app was updated on April 19 and currently has just 100+ downloads, indicating that widespread adoption has not yet begun.
- For users who want a Snapchat‑like component of Instagram as a standalone app, Instants delivers exactly that.