[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Meta has added a real-time photo sharing feature called Instants to Instagram and has also released it as a standalone app in some countries.

On May 14, online media outlet Gigazine reported that Instants focuses on quickly sending photos from the moment without filters or edits. A key feature is that photos disappear after the recipient has viewed them.

Instants has been available worldwide as an Instagram feature since May 13. In some countries, a dedicated app is also provided so users can open Instants directly to shoot and share. Meta said it introduced the new feature so users can share moments with friends without feeling burdened, and described it as a way to share everyday photos that disappear after a friend views them. It added that no editing or pressure is needed, and explained that users should share everyday life as it is through photos.

How it works is tied to Instagram’s existing inbox. When a friend sends a photo via Instants, it appears at the bottom right of the Instagram inbox. When a user taps the photo, the standalone app opens and the post can be viewed there.

The content structure differs from the existing Instagram feed or Stories. Photos uploaded through Instants can be viewed only once and cannot be replayed. They also can no longer be viewed after 24 hours. Screenshots and screen recording are also blocked. Meta explained that the design lets users share more casually without worrying that content will be saved or spread later.

The posting process has also been simplified. Users can take photos by tapping the camera icon at the top right of the Instants screen, and the dedicated app can launch the camera immediately. After taking a photo, users select recipients such as close friends or mutually following users and send it. On Instagram, simple edits such as filters or brightness adjustments are possible, but Instants has no editing features. Meta said it was designed for fast sharing.

The feature operates within Instagram, but the fact that it is also offered as a separate app points to a service expansion strategy. Users can keep using Instagram’s network, while using the dedicated app to shoot and share faster when needed. Meta is thus separating demand for real-time photo sharing centered on small groups from Instagram’s existing public posts and addressing it as a distinct experience.

Instants was introduced as a photo-focused feature. Meta also highlighted usability aimed at “lightly sharing moments with friends.” It can be seen as an attempt to lower the barrier to sharing everyday life by reducing the burden of editing and combining a view-once structure with restrictions on saving. Whether Instants becomes a new communication tool within Instagram, and whether it creates demand for the standalone app, will be points to watch.