The app borrows ideas from social platforms like Snapchat, Locket, and BeReal, as it focuses on authentic and ephemeral content.

Unlike Instagram, which is about curated and polished content, Instants is designed for quick, real-life snapshots. With Instants, you capture a photo with Instagram’s in-app camera and aren’t allowed to edit the image. The format doesn’t allow uploads from your camera, and, although you can add text to your “instants,” you can’t modify them any further. Meta said in a blog post that the idea behind this format is to share authentic moments as they’re happening.

It’s worth noting that Meta is also testing the Instants format as a stand-alone app in select regions, including Spain and Italy.

You can capture an Instant by tapping the mini photo stack in the bottom right corner of your Instagram inbox. After you share your Instant, recipients can react with emojis, reply, and send an Instant back. Meta notes that recipients can’t screenshot or record Instants that you’ve shared.

Instagram stores your shared Instants in a private archive that you can see for up to one year. You can also compile Instants from your archive into a recap and post it to Instagram Stories.

If you’ve accidentally shared an Instant, you can tap the “undo” button and delete an Instant from your archive to unsend it to friends who haven’t opened it yet.

And if you don’t want to receive Instants, you can hold down the pile of Instants in your inbox and swipe right to temporarily stop receiving them. You can also choose to block or mute specific people.

Although Instagram began as a way for friends to share moments with each other, the platform has gradually become overrun with influencer content and ads. With Instants, the company looks to be leaning back into more casual, private interactions centered around photo sharing among circles of friends.

However, Instagram may be a bit late to capitalize on the trend of low-pressure, authentic photo sharing, as BeReal is not as popular as it once was, and many users already use Instagram Stories for fast, informal updates and might not see the need for a separate app and feature to do so.