Instagram unveils Instants for unedited photos with screenshot protection
Honest photos on Instagram are meant to soften performative artificiality (photo: Getty Images)
The main idea behind Instants is maximum authenticity. Photos can only be taken using the app’s internal camera, while any image editing is prohibited.
Restrictions: users cannot upload photos from their phone gallery or apply filters and masks. Only a short text caption can be added on top of the image.
The photos remain available for only 24 hours, and the recipient can view them only once. Meta has also introduced anti-copying protection — recipients cannot take screenshots or record the screen while viewing an Instant.
Instant interface (screenshot: Meta)
Where can you find the new feature?
The new option is located in the Direct messages section — users need to tap the small photo icon in the bottom-right corner.
What will you get?
Interaction: friends can react to your photos with emojis or send an instant photo in reply.
Archive: all your “Instants” are stored in a private archive for one year. Later, users can create collections from them and publish them in Stories.
Controls: if you do not want to receive such messages, they can be temporarily disabled, or specific senders can be blocked.
Developers are focusing on honest photos (screenshot: Meta)
Return to community?
In recent years, Instagram has increasingly resembled an advertising platform crowded with influencers. With Instants, the company is trying to revive the culture of private communication among close friends.
Although the idea is borrowed from platforms like BeReal and Snapchat, analysts note that Instagram may already be falling behind in the race for “digital authenticity.” Many users have become accustomed to an informal style in regular Stories and may not feel the need for a separate tool for this purpose.
Despite the concerns, Meta appears serious about the feature — in some countries, such as Spain and Italy, the Instants format is even being tested as a standalone app.
