The Verge·May 13, 2026
Instagram has introduced a new photo-sharing format called "Instants", which allows users to share ephemeral, uneditable photos with close friends or followers who follow them back. Instants are available globally as a feature in the Instagram app's inbox and are also being tested as a separate app in select countries. To access Instants, users can find an icon or a stack of photos in the bottom-right corner of their DM inbox. The feature enables friends to react to Instants with emojis and send replies to the user's DM.
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