Instagram has added another way to share photos, but this one works a little differently from your regular posts and Stories.
If you’ve noticed Instants inside your Instagram messages and wondered what they are, who can see them, or what you’re supposed to do with them, this video will walk you through it.
Instagram Instants are designed for quick, spontaneous photos shared with people you have a mutual connection with. In other words, they aren’t automatically shown to every person who follows you. They’re meant to feel more casual and private, and people can react or reply directly from the Instant. Those replies land in your DMs.
How to use Instagram Instants
In the video, I’ll show you how to use Instagram Instants from start to finish, including where to find them inside Instagram, how to view an Instant someone else has shared, and how to send a reaction or reply.
You’ll also see how to create your own Instant using either your front or back camera, choose whether you want to share it with friends or Close Friends, and delete an Instant if you change your mind.
I also explain where your Instants go after they’ve been viewed. Instagram saves them in your archive for a year, and you can reshare them later as a Story recap.
If you’ve opened Instagram, spotted this new feature and thought, “Okay… what am I supposed to do with THAT?” this video will show you exactly where everything is and how it works.
