Instagram Instants: How to Use the New Snapchat-Style Feature

Instagram rolled out a new feature called Instants and if it reminds you of Snapchat, you’re not wrong. Tucked into the bottom-right corner of your DM tab, it’s a fun way to send unfiltered snapshots to your followers. It’s more geared towards everyday users, but if you’re a creator, there are still smart ways to use it. Let’s get into it.  

What Are Instagram Instants? 

Instagram Instants is a disappearing photo and video feature in your DMs that lets you send unfiltered, spontaneous moments directly to mutual followers.

The feature evolved out of Instagram’s experimental “Shots” tool, which quietly tested BeReal and Snapchat-style photo sharing in select regions last year. It’s now been repositioned, rebranded, and pushed to more users.

You open an Instant and it vanishes. If it’s not opened, it automatically expires after 24 hours. You can only send Instants to mutual followers, and you cannot edit photos before sending. It’s meant to be a spontaneous, raw snapshot of your day.

How to Get Instagram Instants

Instants is only available on mobile, not on the browser version of Instagram. Here’s how you’ll find it:

1. Open Instagram on your phone
2. Go to your DM tab
3. Look for the star-shaped icon in the bottom-right corner
4. Tap it to open Instants
5. If you don’t see it yet, update your app to the latest version on iOS or Android and log out and back in

Instagram will also prompt you with a pop-up once the feature becomes available on your account, so keep an eye out for that.

Where Can I View Instants on Instagram?

There’s an icon on the bottom left of the Instants interface that takes you to your archive of all the Instants you’ve shared. From there, you can view, download, or delete your sent content.

Received Instants show up in your DMs, but they disappear once opened, so if you want to revisit something, save it before it’s gone.

For creators, this archive is handy for keeping track of what you’ve shared with your community, especially if you’re using Instants for behind-the-scenes content or product previews.

Instagram Instants Archive

Every Instant you send gets stored in your archive automatically. You can access it from the Instants interface. It’s where you go to review, download, or delete anything you’ve shared. It’s a useful safety net, especially if you fire off something by accident.

Can You See Who Viewed Your Instants? 

Yes; similar to Stories, you can see when someone has opened your Instant, since the photo disappears once viewed. Instagram notifies you when your Instant has been opened, so you always know it’s been seen.

For creators, this is a handy way to gauge who your most engaged followers actually are – the ones opening your Instants are likely to be your real community.

When Should You Use Instants?

Instants works best for raw, in-the-moment content. Here’s when it makes sense to use it:

• Behind-the-scenes moments: Share something raw and real with your closest followers without it living on your profile permanently.
• Event coverage: At a launch, conference, or live event? Instants is a low-effort way to share the vibe in real time.
• Community building: For creators and brands with a tight-knit community, Instants can feel more personal than a Story. It goes directly to people who follow you back. You can also limit who receives your Instants to Friends or Close Friends only; useful if you want to share something more personal with a tighter circle.
• Testing content: Share an unfiltered idea or product preview and see how your most engaged followers respond.

That said, Instants is a complement to your content strategy, not a replacement for it. Reels and Stories still win when it comes to reach and saves.

Will It Take Off?

When Shots first launched, some analysts were sceptical, calling it a minor addition that might never reach mainstream adoption. But sentiment was similar when Stories were first announced, and that feature has since become one of Instagram’s most-used tools.

Whether Instants finds its footing is still an open question. But if you’re a creator or social media marketer, it’s worth understanding how it works. 

If you want to keep your full Instagram strategy tight – Reels, Stories, feed posts and their analytics – Metricool lets you schedule, analyze, and manage everything in one place.