Instagram is testing a new image-sharing app called “Instants,” the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The application, which is available in Spain and Italy, allows users to share disappearing photos with their friends, which can be viewed once and remain available for 24 hours.
With Instants, you capture a photo with a single touch, without allowing editing. The app does not allow uploads from your camera roll and only allows you to capture and share content using the app’s camera. While you can add text to your “snapshots,” as these raw photos are called, you can’t edit them further.
Unlike Instagram, which is all about polished, curated content, Instants is designed for quick snapshots of real life. The app borrows ideas from social platforms like Snapchat, Locket, and BeReal as it focuses on authentic and ephemeral content.
It’s worth noting that Instagram has been testing Instants as an in-app feature in certain regions before today. The company says users can choose to use Instants within the standard Instagram app or through the standalone Instants app.
“To give people pressure-free ways to connect with friends, we’re testing an app called Instants for casual photo and video sharing in the moment,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like and we’ll listen to our community.”
You can share Instants with your mutual followers or your Close Friends list. Instagram notes that these lists are the same across all Instagram and Instant apps.
The app is available on iOS and Android.
Although Instagram started out as a way for friends to share content with each other, over time it has become more impersonal as it is inundated with ads and influencers. By introducing a new low-risk, “in-the-moment” sharing app, the company is looking to return to its roots while responding to competition from apps that focus on ephemeral sharing and interactions with close friends.
However, Instagram may be a little late to capitalize on the trend of low-pressure, filter-free photo sharing, as BeReal is not as popular as it once was. At the same time, many people already use Instagram Stories, the app’s Snapchat clone, for quick sharing and may not see the need for a separate app to do so. Taking these factors into account, it will be interesting to see how Instants develops.
When you buy through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
