Meta Reportedly Working on Instants App to Compete With Snapchat’s Disappearing Messages

Meta is already a key pillar of the social world. Starting with Facebook, today's major social platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram are owned by Meta. In 2023, Meta launched Threads, a similar app to X (formerly known as Twitter). Now, Meta is eyeing Snapchat. Meta is preparing to re-enter Snapchat's core area: ephemeral messaging (disappearing messages/media).

Business Insider reports that Meta is working on an internal prototype app that will allow users to send and receive disappearing photos and videos, similar to Snapchat. The app is reportedly called "Instants." The project is currently in internal development and hasn't yet begun public testing. App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi spotted Instants in Instagram's "Also from Meta" section, suggesting a possible standalone app or feature integration.

Before Instant, Meta also tested a feature called "Shots," in which photos were viewable only once, uneditable, and would disappear after viewing. Several reports suggest Shots may be renamed Instants and will be tested in select regions.

The app is designed for instant closed-circle sharing, where media can only be sent between mutual followers, similar to Snapchat's feature. This follows a trend where Instagram has been introducing meta Snapchat-like features like Stories, disappearing messages, and view once media and Vanish Mode.

Meta often experiments with standalone apps like Threads, and because of this, it seems that the Instants app could launch as a separate app or perhaps remain a feature within Instagram.

Speaking of a launch date, Meta hasn't announced an official launch timeline yet, but we're likely to see this new app soon. Snapchat only has approximately 946 million monthly users, while Instagram alone has over 2 billion monthly users. A comparison of all Meta apps would be significantly larger, but the competition is still ongoing.