Meta has increasingly experimented with standalone apps.
Instagram is reportedly developing a new standalone app designed around disappearing photos, signalling a possible return to more private and casual online sharing habits.
The prototype, internally known as “Instants”, mirrors the early appeal of Snapchat, where images vanish after being viewed, encouraging spontaneous communication between close friends.
Parent company Meta confirmed the project exists but clarified the app remains an internal experiment and is not currently being tested with the public.
News of the prototype surfaced after mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi shared screenshots revealing the feature while analysing unreleased platform updates and hidden interface changes.
According to reporting by Business Insider, the app’s description promotes a simplified experience centred on quickly sharing disappearing photos without filters, edits or performance pressure.
Instagram has already trialled a similar feature inside its main app, previously called “Shots”, allowing select users in certain countries to send temporary photo messages through direct messaging.
Photos sent through Instants disappear once opened and automatically expire after 24 hours, reinforcing privacy and encouraging more authentic interactions between mutually connected users.
The feature is intentionally limited, as images cannot be edited and can only be shared with followers who mutually follow each other, reducing screenshots, resharing and public visibility.
This design reflects Instagram’s growing focus on close friend interactions rather than viral reach, particularly as younger users increasingly prioritise private communication spaces.
Influencer culture, advertising expansion and algorithm-driven feeds have gradually reshaped Instagram into an entertainment hub, prompting Meta to rethink how users maintain genuine friendships online.
Many users now post less frequently to their main feed or Stories, choosing instead to share everyday moments through direct messages with trusted circles of friends and family.
Disappearing messaging is not new to Instagram, which introduced vanishing photos and texts in 2016 and later added Vanish Mode in 2020 to enable temporary conversations within chats.
Instagram has also previously adopted ideas from Snapchat, most notably Stories, which transformed how users share daily updates.
More recently, Instagram introduced a social map feature resembling Snapchat’s Snap Map, further highlighting ongoing competition between platforms for younger audiences’ attention.
Meta has increasingly experimented with standalone apps, launching platforms such as Threads alongside creative tools like Edits and Meta AI.
For South Asian users balancing family networks, friendship groups and online identity, Instants could signal a shift towards more intimate digital sharing spaces that feel less curated and more personal.
Although Instants remains an internal prototype, its development suggests social media companies are revisiting earlier formats that prioritised connection, nostalgia and authenticity over constant visibility.
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