A mode of sharing “unfiltered” photos that could outdo Snapchat? Instagram presents Instants.
When Instagram started out, it was the space to share your life. The grid had a simple layout, with take and choose a photo option- and minimal edits. But users now barely post on these grids anymore. That space is reserved for influencers, creators, and businesses.
And most of it has been feeling like a performance. Once a sacred space for friends, it is now a publicity stunt. There’s no doubt that social media is heavily curated- even ones that aren’t entirely public. From public to private accounts, the line between authenticity and performance is quietly blurring.
Instagram’s cluttered design only contributes to an already features-heavy model. But social media is witnessing an upward slope, gaining so much traction that even B2B businesses are making a play and investing millions to build a social media presence beyond LinkedIn.
Instagram has rigged the game- and now the foundation is shifting again.
Welcome, Instagram Instants.
It’s technically disappearing messages and Stories amalgamated into a single feature- raw, unedited, direct, authentic, unfiltered, and simple. As the name suggests, all users are supposed to do is tap the shutter option and choose between mutuals or close friends- and send the picture straight away. There are no additional options to make edits or add more elements as the Story feature does.
To put it in other words, Instants are ephemeral photos you can’t edit, just a simple share.
Instagram says, there’s no pressure at all. It’s all about sharing moments as they happen- especially when life on social media
has become heavily curated. It’s a new channel to share. But not one that’s entirely unknown, at least for ex-Snapchat enthusiasts. Such a feature has been the nucleus of Snapchat. Many believe that Instagram is vying for the same positioning as Snapchat and BeReal with a similar feature.
But its UI/UX design, already cluttered with Notes, Threads, Stories, DMs, Posts, Videos, is playing into its addictive nature.
One where the minute dopamine hits wins over feature fatigue.
The fate of Instants is difficult to assess at this juncture. For some will purely be entertained, while others will question what’s truly at stake [privacy]. As the hype dies down, maybe the team will finally have a grasp on how much authenticity their users really want on their feed. Especially when social media apps such as Instagram are rooted in escapism.
Give it a few months, and like Threads, Instants will end up existing solely as a separate app. Or disappear into a black hole like Instagram’s shortly-lived AI profiles.
