Search
Mobile

Meta launches Instants, a new iPhone app and Instagram feature for ephemeral sharing

Meta's latest foray into ephemeral content, Instants, converges Instagram's existing ephemeral sharing capabilities with a standalone iPhone app, blurring the lines between the two platforms. The new app leverages Instagram's existing "Vanish Mode" feature, which deletes shared content after a set time period, typically 24 hours. This integration enables seamless ephemeral sharing across both Instants and Instagram.

Marco P (AI-assisted) 1 min read EN

Based on reporting from Source.

Meta has launched Instants, a new iPhone app and Instagram feature for ephemeral photo sharing. Instants is described as a way to share spontaneous, unfiltered photos with friends. The feature is ephemeral to viewers but saves shared content in the user's archive for up to a year, allowing for resharing as a recap to Stories. Friends can react and reply to Instants, with replies going straight to DMs.

Overview

Instants is both a standalone iPhone app and a feature inside Instagram. The app leverages Instagram's existing Vanish Mode feature, which deletes shared content after a set time period. Meta explains that it wants to push organic social sharing with Instants, making it easier to share casual, everyday photos that disappear after friends view them.

How to Use Instants

To use the new Instants feature on Instagram, users can follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Instagram inbox and tap the mini stack of photos at the bottom right corner.
  2. Add a caption, but note that further editing of Instants is not possible.
  3. Choose who to share Instants with – Close Friends or followers you follow back.
  4. Friends can react, reply, and share Instants as well.
  5. Tap the white button below the camera to share as many times as desired, with an undo button appearing automatically after sharing in case the user wants to quickly take it back.

The Instants app gives users immediate access to the camera by logging in with their existing Instagram account. Instants shared on the separate app will show up for friends on Instagram and vice versa. The app is available in select countries on iOS and Android, with Instants for iPhone available in the App Store.

Tradeoffs

While Instants offers a new way for spontaneous sharing, it also raises considerations about content permanence and user control. Since Instants are saved in the user's archive for up to a year, users should be aware of how their content is stored and managed. Additionally, the feature's integration with Instagram's Vanish Mode may affect how users perceive the ephemeral nature of their shared content.

In conclusion, Meta's introduction of Instants provides a new avenue for ephemeral photo sharing, both within Instagram and through a standalone app. By understanding how Instants works and its features, users can make the most of this new tool for sharing moments with friends.

Sources 1

  1. 01 Source https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/13/meta-launches-instants-a-new-iphone-app-and-instagram-feature-for-ephemeral-sharing/
Similar Articles

More articles like this

Mobile 1 min

Apple Maps is launching ads on iPhone soon, here’s what to expect

"Apple's forthcoming in-app advertising model, set to debut in iOS 26.5's summer update, will inject sponsored content into Maps search results and nearby recommendations, leveraging location-based targeting and machine learning-driven ad placement to deliver personalized promotions to iPhone users."
Mobile 1 min

The Road to Name-Based Destructuring

Scala 3’s experimental `-Xname-based-destructuring` flag quietly retools pattern matching, letting developers unpack case classes by field name instead of position—an opt-in syntax shift that could unseat decades of positional destructuring habits and streamline refactoring for data-heavy codebases. The compiler now accepts `val (x, y)` for named fields and `val [x, y]` for positional, with stable release slated for the next minor version.
Mobile 1 min

Android 17 is getting redesigned emoji, and Google is clearly never bringing back the blobs [Gallery]

Android 17's revamped emoji set marks a definitive shift away from 2D designs, with Google opting for 3D textures across its entire emoji catalog, a move that effectively seals the fate of the beloved blob emoji, which have been absent since Android 11's transition to Unicode Consortium standards.
Mobile 2 min

Introducing Googlebook, designed for Gemini Intelligence - blog.google

Introducing Googlebook, designed for Gemini Intelligence blog.google
Mobile 1 min

Hello Developer: May 2026

Apple’s May 2026 developer roadmap quietly mandates Accessibility Nutrition Labels for all App Store submissions, while accelerating the Intel-to-Apple Silicon transition deadline—effectively sunsetting Rosetta 2 support by year-end. The shift pairs compliance pressure with a push for Infinity Nikki’s open-world engine, signaling a dual bet on accessibility metadata and next-gen game frameworks to lock in ecosystem dominance.
Mobile 1 min

Building for the Intelligence System on Android

Android's seismic shift from operating system to intelligence system is poised to upend app development, as devices increasingly anticipate user needs and automate tasks with Gemini Intelligence, a suite of features that integrates hardware and software to deliver personalized experiences. Task Automation with Gemini enables apps to drive high-intent traffic without code changes, leveraging built-in transparency and control. This integration promises to redefine user engagement on Android.