Meta launched a standalone app called Instants in Italy and Spain on April 23, 2026, offering Instagram users a dedicated way to send disappearing photos and videos to friends. The app allows content to be viewed only once within a 24-hour window, closely mirroring features found in Snapchat.
Instants is available on both iOS and Android. Meta has not announced whether a desktop version is planned or when, or if, the app will expand to other regions including the United States.
Users can capture photos and videos through the in-app camera and send them to mutual Instagram followers and close friends. Editing options are intentionally restricted — text can be added, but no other modifications to the media are permitted. The app carries the tagline “real life, real quick” and is designed, according to an Instagram spokesperson, to “give people low-pressure ways to connect with friends.”
Instants remains linked to a user’s existing Instagram account, though Meta says users can choose to share and view disappearing photos through either the new standalone app or the original Instagram platform. The feature builds on a photo-sharing tool previously baked into Instagram messages, originally called “Shots” before being rebranded to Instants.
Meta acknowledged it is “exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like.” The app draws clear comparisons to both Snapchat and BeReal, making it Meta’s latest attempt to replicate features from those services. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri had signaled related goals around authenticity in December 2025.
Source: The Verge