Instagram to Reportedly Rival Snapchat With New ‘Instants’ App for Sending Disappearing Photos

Meta is said to be developing a new standalone app that is expected to rival Snapchat in terms of ephemeral communication. According to a report, the company confirmed that an internal prototype of the app, dubbed Instants, is in development that would allow users to send and receive disappearing photos and videos. The Meta-owned social media platform is reportedly also developing a new feature for Instagram with the same name and similar functionality.

Instagram's Snapchat Rival

The in-development standalone app is expected to be built on a similar premise as Snapchat. It would allow users to send disappearing photos and is currently in development as an internal prototype, a Meta spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. However, it is not being tested externally.

According to mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi, who reverse engineers apps, Meta's new app is called Instants. A reference to the app is said to have been discovered on the Also from Meta page on Instagram, where Instants was listed as a way to share disappearing photos with friends.

The Meta spokesperson also reportedly confirmed that the social media platform is testing another new feature called Instants. Previously known as Shots, it is said to be available as a limited test to “some countries globally”.

As per the report, the in-development feature allows users to send disappearing media in their direct messages (DMs) inbox. The photo disappears once it is opened and expires after 24 hours of sending it. Instagram reportedly says that Instants can only be sent to followers you follow back” and cannot be edited.

This is not the first time that the Meta-owned platform has begun testing a feature linked to disappearing messages. Multiple features already exist within Instagram's direct messaging system that allow messages or media to vanish after a certain period of time. For example, Instagram supports disappearing photos and videos through features such as “View Once” and Vanish Mode.

The move is expected to bring Instagram closer to Snapchat in terms of ephemeral communication. However, Meta has yet to reveal whether the feature will be rolled out or how the app might be implemented if it progresses beyond the prototype stage. Like other tech companies, Meta is also known to develop and evaluate a wide range of internal prototypes, many of which do not make it beyond internal testing or limited trials.