Meta launched a new 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 is available on both iOS and Android.
Instants allows users to send photos and videos that are available for 24 hours and can be viewed only once during that window. Media is captured through an in-app camera and can be sent to mutual Instagram followers and close friends. Editing options are intentionally limited — users can add text, but cannot otherwise modify the content they send.
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.” Meta says users can choose whether to share and view disappearing photos through the new standalone app or through the main Instagram platform, as Instants remains tied to users’ existing Instagram accounts.
The feature builds on “Shots,” an instant photo-sharing function already embedded in Instagram messages that was later rebranded to Instants. Instagram told Business Insider it is “exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like.” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri had shared related goals around authenticity in December.
The app draws clear comparisons to Snapchat and BeReal, making it Meta’s latest attempt to replicate features from those services. Meta has not announced whether Instants will expand to other regions, including the US, or whether a desktop version is planned.
Source: The Verge