Media

Instagram just launched a new app that's a mix of Snapchat and BeReal

Instagram has a new app and feature called Instants.
Instagram has a new app and feature called Instants. Instagram
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Meta is welcoming a new app to the family.

Instagram globally launched a new feature called "Instants" on Wednesday. You can find it by going to the direct messaging tab on the main Instagram app. It's also rolling out a stand-alone app for the product in select countries, including the US.

Instants lets users share disappearing photos with their friends. These photos last 24 hours, can't be viewed more than once, and you can't see who viewed them. You also can't screenshot them.

The app's slogan, per the current app listing: "Real life, real quick."

It's basically a Frankenstein of social apps like Locket, BeReal, and, of course, Snapchat.

Users can take photos with the Instants camera and add text, but cannot edit the content further. They can then share that content with a limited audience, specifically mutual followers and close friends.

Meta's new Instants feature in Instagram
Instants can be found in the Instagram DM page.  Screenshot/Instagram

Those friends can then react with emojis or reply in a DM.

It's intended to give Instagram users "a more casual, low-pressure way to connect with friends," a Meta spokesperson said.

The Instants app also lets users add a widget to their homescreen, which has been a hit among younger users for newer social apps like Airbuds and Locket.

Expanding Meta's portfolio of social apps has become commonplace for the tech giant. Instagram has Threads and Edits under its umbrella, and Meta also has the AI-focused Meta AI app.

In April, Meta began rolling out the stand-alone Instants app in Italy and Spain.

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Sydney Bradley
Sydney Bradley has been covering media and tech for Business Insider since 2020. She breaks news and writes extensively about Instagram and Facebook, as well as new social media startups, dating apps, the creator economy, venture capital, and tech culture.She regularly contributes to BI's "After Hours" series, where our reporters dive into the social scenes shaping tech, media, and finance.Sydney's reporting on Instagram was nominated as a finalist for the 2021 Los Angeles Press Club National Entertainment Journalism Awards.She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in American Studies. You can follow Sydney's work on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram at @sydneykbradley.Have a tip? You can also contact her via encrypted messaging app Signal (@sydneykbradley.123), encrypted email (sydneykbradley@proton.me), or standard email (sbradley@businessinsider.com). Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.