Instagram has launched another Snapchat clone

Meta's Instagram has launched 'Instants,' a standalone app featuring ephemeral photo/video sharing similar to Snapchat and BeReal, currently testing in Italy and Spain with plans for broader rollout. This reflects Meta's continued strategy to capture declining competitor market share and drive user engagement through 'low-pressure' authentic communication features that could reshape social media consumption patterns and create new data collection opportunities. For IT organizations, this signals Meta's ongoing platform fragmentation strategy requiring consideration of multi-app ecosystems, evolving data residency requirements, and potential shifts in enterprise social media policy as consumer behaviors increasingly fragment across specialized applications.

The VergeApril 24, 20262 min read

Instagram is testing a new dedicated app that's focused around Snapchat-like photo sharing features. The app, called "Instants," was launched in Italy and Spain yesterday, Business Insider reports, and allows users to send each other disappearing photos that are available for 24 hours and can be viewed only once during that window. The app is currently available on both iOS and Android. Meta hasn't announced if a desktop version will follow, or whether Instants will be launched in other regions, including the US. It resembles the "Shots" instant photo sharing feature that is already baked into Instagram messages (and was later rebranded to … Read the full story at The Verge.