Instagram Instants launched to share disappearing photos and upgrade teen safety

New Delhi:

Instagram has just started rolling out a new feature named ‘Instants’, which has been designed to make sharing real-life moments with friends super quick. Instead of fussing with filters and over-editing, you just snap a real-time photo and send it straight to your friends, right as life happens.

How do Instagram Instants work?

You will find Instants tucked inside the Instagram inbox. Look for a little pile of photos at the bottom-right. Tap the camera icon, and you are set to capture and send a photo in seconds. You can add a caption, but Instagram keeps editing tools out of the picture for Instants.

You can send your shots to Close Friends or mutual followers, so it feels a lot more private than Stories. Friends can comment, react, and share their own Instants right back with you. And if you regret sending one? There’s an undo button so you can yank it back before anyone else sees it.

New Archive and Recap features added

Unlike the Disappearing Messages feature, your shared Instants do not vanish forever. After your friends view them, you will still find your own shots in a private archive, where they will hang out for up to a year. If you want, you can string together old Instants to create recap stories and share them with everyone who follows you.

And if you need a break, there is a 'Snooze' option which temporarily hides Instants from your inbox. It is considered to be perfect when you just want a little peace.

Separate Instants app is being tested

In some countries, Instagram is testing a standalone Instants app for Android and iOS. The big idea here is speed. Since it’s a separate app, you can jump straight into the camera, skip the Instagram feed, and share real-time pictures even faster. Still, every Instant you send through the app automatically shows up on Instagram. Right now, they’re tweaking and testing the app based on how people use it.

Teen safety and privacy protections included

• For privacy, Instagram stated that all the usual controls (blocking, muting, restricting) will still work with Instants. Only the friends you choose ever see your photos.
• Teens get extra safeguards like time limits, Sleep Mode (which keeps things quiet from 10 PM to 7 AM), parental supervision, and content filters. 
• Also, nobody can take a screenshot or record your Instants due to privacy settings. This means they have an extra layer of privacy baked in.