Wednesday 11/February/2026 – 12:24 AM
An official spokesperson for Meta confirmed to Business Insider that the technology giant is working on an internal prototype of a new, independent application that allows sending photos that automatically disappear after a period, and the idea of this application appears similar to the basic idea of the Snapchat application.
According to a screenshot shared by mobile app developer Alessandro Paluzzi, who is reverse engineering Instagram to unveil prototypes, the app is called Instants.
A Meta spokesperson said that the standalone Instants app is not subject to external testing, and Instagram is also testing a feature called Instants, which was formerly known as Shots, with some users of the main app. The spokesman explained that this test is limited and available in “some countries around the world.”
Meta will compete with Snapchat with a new application
The Instants feature allows Instagram users to send photos that quickly disappear from their direct messages. Once you open a photo message, the photo disappears and expires 24 hours after it’s sent, according to Instagram’s Help Center.
The help page itself notes that Instant messages can only be sent to followers you follow. Photos cannot be edited, and this is not the first time Instagram has launched self-disappearing messaging tools. In 2016, Instagram launched tools for text messages and self-disappearing photos within its direct messaging service.
The platform also introduced Vanish Mode in 2020, which allows users to activate self-disappearing messages by swiping up within a message conversation. These features are still available within the Instagram app, but Instants represents a new way to send disappearing content to friends.
Meta launching a new app is no surprise, as the company has launched several standalone apps in its recent history, including Threads, Edits, and Meta AI.
Instagram is increasingly focusing on providing ways for friends — which Meta defines as people who follow each other — to interact on the app.
Meta appears to be taking inspiration from Snapchat in how users communicate with their close friends, and Instagram’s emulation of Snapchat is not limited to just disappearing messages. The Stories feature, for example, was a carbon copy of Snapchat’s successful product. Last year, Instagram also launched a social map feature similar to Snapchat.
