Instagram is testing a new image sharing app called “Screenshots,” the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The app, which is available in Spain and Italy, allows users to share disappearing photos with their friends that can only be viewed once and remain available for 24 hours.
With Instants, you take a photo with a single tap, no editing allowed. The app does not allow uploads from your camera roll and only allows you to capture and share content using the in-app camera. While you can add text to your “moments,” as these raw photos are called, you can’t modify them further.
Unlike Instagram, which is all about curated, polished content, Instants is designed for quick, real snaps. The app borrows ideas from social platforms like Snapchat, Locket and BeReal as it focuses on authentic and ephemeral content.
It’s worth noting that Instagram has been testing Instants as an in-app feature in some regions before today. The company says users can choose to use Instants either within the standard Instagram app or through the standalone Instants app.
“To give people low-pressure ways to connect with friends, we’re testing an app called Instants to share casual photos and videos right now,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re exploring multiple versions of Instants to see what people like and will listen to our community.”
You can share Instants with your mutual followers or your close friends list. Instagram notes that these lists are the same across all Instagram and Instant apps.
The application is available at iOS and Android.
Although Instagram started as a way for friends to share content with each other, over time, it has become more impersonal as it has been flooded with ads and influencers. By introducing a new app for low-stakes, “in-the-moment” sharing, the company is trying to return to its roots while responding to competition from apps that focus on ephemeral sharing and close friend interactions.
However, Instagram may be a little slow to tap into the trend of low-pressure, unfiltered photo sharing like BeReal not as popular as they once were. At the same time, many people already use Instagram Stories, the app’s Snapchat clone, for quick sharing and may not see the need for a separate app to do so. Given these factors, it will be interesting to see how Instants play out.
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