Instagram launched one in the last few hours new function call Instantsavailable for now only in some selected countries – including Italy – usable also as a separate app For Android And iOS. The function in question allows you to share photos taken at the moment with your friends, which disappear after 24 hours and, unlike stories, they can only be viewed once and cannot be changed: the app opens directly on the camera, pushing the user to share snapshots of their real life without filters and various retouching. In the next paragraphs let’s take a closer look at how it works, where the idea comes from and what we can expect from this new feature.
How the new Instagram snapshots feature was born
There new Instants feature was born conceptually as an evolution of a function already present in the messages section of Instagram, called “Shots” (i.e. “shots” in Italian). Meta apparently has decided to give this method of content sharing greater centrality. The new feature is clearly inspired by various competing platforms: Snapchatthe social network famous for self-destructing messages; BeRealthe platform launched in 2020 that invites users to share candid, uncoated photos and Locketan app that lets you send photos directly to the home screen of your friends’ phones. The result is a hybrid that focuses entirely on authentic and ephemeral sharing (i.e. temporary and destined to disappear).
The Menlo Park giant has built part of its success by adapting other people’s successful ideas: Instagram Stories are an almost identical reproduction of Snapchat’s, while Reels are a direct response to the rise of TikTok. In both cases, the strategy worked. With Instants, however, the terrain is more slippery: BeReal, the platform that led the way in attempting to ride the wave of photographic spontaneity, experienced an explosion of popularity in 2022 only to then progressively lose users. This suggests that the point-snap-send formatalthough interesting and based on authenticity, struggles to gain an impact on users. We’ll see if Meta succeeds this time.
How Instants works for candid photos
Let’s see, now, how to use Instagram Instants. From a practical point of view, operation is simple. By opening theInstants app (obtainable from both the Play Store and the App Store) or by accessing the dedicated section inInstagram app (just tap the iconairplane and then there + at the gray box located at the bottom right), we are directly in front of the camera.
From here you can select the audience to show the photo to (by tapping the icon Friends and deciding whether to leave this option active or select the option Closest friends) and take the photo to share by pressing the shutter button (the white dot in the center of the screen). Stop. Sharing will be immediate and instantaneous, ready to be visible to recipients for a maximum of 24 hours and can only be opened once. After viewing, the content will permanently disappear. As the authors of the photo, we will still be able to see the snapshots taken by pressing on four squares top right.
Anyone who receives a photo of us can react with one of the proposed emojis or reply with a text message; in both cases we will receive a notification. However, we will not know who viewed our snapshots without interacting: this information is not available.
When using Instants it is good to remember that the ephemeral nature of the contents does not guarantee absolute privacy: someone could photograph the screen with another device before the image disappears. Meta itself explicitly warns to use Instants only with trusted people and in a responsible way.
