Meta has confirmed that Instants currently exists as an internal prototype and is not yet available for public testing.
The Instagram version of Instants may allow users to send disappearing photos via DMs that vanish after viewing or within 24 hours.
If launched, Instants could position Meta as a direct rival to Snapchat amid mixed reactions to Snapchat’s new paid storage plans.
After Threads, Meta seems to be working on a new way in which users share their photos on social media platforms. The latest reports suggest that the company is developing an internal prototype of a standalone app called Instants, designed to let users exchange short-lived visual content with friends and offer a Snapchat-like experience.
SurveyThis comes after a Meta spokesperson confirmed that the application currently exists as an internal concept and is not currently being tested with the public. The idea appears to mirror Snapchat’s core offering, centering on photos and videos that vanish after being viewed.
Along with that, Meta is also reportedly experimenting with a feature of the same name within Instagram. App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, known for uncovering unreleased features, has spotted references to Instants within Instagram’s code and app listings, suggesting it could enable disappearing media sharing directly through DMs.
The Instagram version of Instants reportedly allows users to send photos that disappear after being opened and expire within 24 hours. The feature is said to be limited to mutual followers and does not allow edits. Meta has confirmed that this feature is being tested in select markets, following earlier experiments such as View Once and Vanish Mode.
It must be noted that the company has not confirmed whether either the standalone app or the Instagram feature will see a wider rollout. When introduced, this will make Meta a direct competitor to Snapchat.
In the meantime, Snapchat has received mixed feedback for introducing paid storage subscriptions. For the unfamiliar, the company now provides free 5GB of storage space, and if the data exceeds the limit, users are prompted to purchase additional storage beginning at Rs 99 per month.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
