Instagram Copies Snapchat Again With New Instants Feature

Instagram has introduced a new photo-sharing feature called Instants. This lets users share unedited, disappearing photos with close friends or mutual followers. If you’ve used Snapchat or BeReal, this format will feel quite familiar.

The feature is now rolling out worldwide. It combines elements from Snapchat’s disappearing photo concept and BeReal’s candid, no-filter approach. You can only share Instants with your “Close Friends” list or with people who follow you back. Once someone views the photo, it vanishes. There’s no editing, no filters, and no second-guessing — just shoot and send.

What Are Instants?

Ephemeral photos, which disappear after being viewed, aren’t a new concept. Snapchat built its business on this idea since 2011. More recently, BeReal popularized the candid approach by prompting users to snap a photo at a random time each day with no enhancements.

Instagram’s Instants takes cues from both of these. The photos are unedited, so you can’t apply filters or make adjustments before sending. They disappear after being viewed, preventing the viewer from saving or revisiting them. Plus, they’re shared only with your close circle, either Close Friends or mutual followers, rather than your entire public audience.

Think of it as giving a friend a printed photo that dissolves after they look at it, but all of this happens on your phone.

Instagram’s History of Copying

This isn’t the first time Instagram has borrowed features from competitors. The app launched Stories in 2016, which closely mirrored Snapchat Stories. In 2020, it introduced Reels as a direct response to TikTok’s short video format. Last year, it tried to compete with BeReal using a feature called Candid Challenges. The pattern is clear: a competitor proves a format works, and Instagram creates its own version to integrate into the largest photo-sharing platform.

Whether this strategy pays off depends on whether Instagram’s huge user base finds Instants helpful. Or has the audience that values unfiltered sharing already committed to Snapchat or BeReal?

What This Means

For everyday Instagram users, Instants creates a more relaxed way to share moments with close friends without the pressure of crafting a perfect post. Imagine you’re at a concert with poor lighting but want your friends to feel like they’re there. Instants is designed for that. You snap the shot, send it out, and it’s gone.

The mutual-follow requirement is a smart design choice. It prevents you from accidentally sharing an unedited photo with thousands of followers or anyone who doesn’t follow you back. This keeps the audience small, which is the goal.

For those already happy with Instagram Stories or Snapchat, Instants might not change much in their daily routine. However, for users wanting an unfiltered option within an app they already use, it offers a reason to stay instead of switching to a competing platform.

What People Are Saying

Reactions to Instants have been mixed. Some users appreciate the candid approach, while others feel a sense of déjà vu.

“Instagram really looked at Snapchat and BeReal and said ‘yes, both of those’ and shipped it in one feature.” — Reddit user, r/Instagram

“Honestly I might actually use this? I hate how performative my Stories have gotten. Just want to send my friends dumb photos without them living on my profile forever.” — YouTube comment on Engadget’s coverage

Sources

• The Verge: Instagram hits the copy button again with new disappearing Instants photos
• Engadget: Instagram debuts a new disappearing-photo app called Instants
• Mashable: Instagram adds Instants tool to send disappearing photo dumps to friends

What To Watch

• Adoption numbers: Instagram hasn’t shared initial usage data for Instants. Keep an eye on Meta’s next earnings call, where executives often discuss engagement trends for new features.
• Snapchat and BeReal’s response: Both platforms have seen Instagram encroach on their territory before. It’ll be interesting to see if either company adjusts its own product in reaction.
• Feature expansion: Instagram frequently tests simplified features before adding more options later. Editing tools, reactions, or other additions might come to Instants in future updates, potentially undermining the original no-edit premise.