Meta Platforms is developing a new standalone app called Instants, designed to send disappearing photos, directly competing with Snapchat. This move was confirmed by a Meta spokesperson to Business Insider.
A mobile developer, Alessandro Paluzzi, revealed the prototype on February 8, 2024, sharing a screenshot with the tagline “Share disappearing photos with friends.” Paluzzi is known for reverse-engineering Instagram to uncover unreleased features. The Instants feature is currently operating in a limited form within Instagram’s main app, tested under names including “Shots” and “Quicksnap” in select countries.
According to the Meta spokesperson, this feature enables users to send unedited photos through direct messages, which disappear once opened and expire 24 hours after sending. Users are restricted to sending photos only to mutual followers, and no filters or edits are allowed on these photos. Instagram has previously offered similar tools, such as Stories, a 24-hour disappearing post feature launched in 2016, and Vanish Mode, introduced in 2020, which allows disappearing messages in direct chats.
The planned Instants app aims to separate this disappearing photo functionality from Instagram’s core experience. Meta has a history of replicating Snapchat features, including the 24-hour post format in Stories. This pattern was mocked by Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, who changed his LinkedIn title to “VP Product @ Meta” in 2025.
In recent years, Meta has launched several other standalone apps. In 2023, it released Threads to compete with Twitter, along with the Edits video editing app and the Meta AI assistant app. The company is also testing a standalone version of its AI video generation feature, Vibes. Instagram has been shifting its focus toward friend-to-friend communication, drawing inspiration from Snapchat’s approach to interactions with close friends.
