Instagram is testing a new app built for the kind of photos people usually never bother posting. The platform confirmed it is rolling out Instants, a standalone image-sharing app now available in Spain and Italy that focuses on quick, disappearing photos sent to friends instead of polished content made for likes and public attention.
The concept is intentionally minimal. Users take a photo with one tap inside the app, and uploads from the camera roll are blocked. Every image has to be captured in real time through the in-app camera, pushing users toward spontaneous moments instead of carefully selected throwbacks. Text can be added, but no additional editing tools are available.
Photos shared through Instants, known as “instants,” can only be viewed once and remain accessible for 24 hours before disappearing. The format echoes ideas popularized by Snapchat, Locket, and BeReal, apps that found success by making social media feel more casual and less performative.
That shift matters because Instagram’s main platform has changed dramatically over the years. What began as a place to share everyday life with friends has evolved into a space dominated by influencers, advertisers, brand campaigns, and curated aesthetics. Instants appears to be an attempt to bring back more private, low-stakes interaction.
Instagram says it has already tested Instants as an in-app feature in some markets, but is now also exploring it as a separate product. Users can share content with mutual followers or their Close Friends list, and those same connections carry across both apps.
“To give people low-pressure ways to connect with friends, we’re testing an app called Instants to share casual photos and videos in the moment,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like, and will listen to our community.”
Whether users want another social app is the real question. Still, Instagram clearly sees demand for smaller circles, less pressure, and content that disappears before it becomes a performance.
