Instants are ephemeral photos that you can’t edit, and Instagram has found that people use them to share more casual photos.
Instants are ephemeral photos that you can’t edit, and Instagram has found that people use them to share more casual photos.
by Jay PetersMay 13, 2026, 5:57 PM UTC
Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.
Instagram is once again cribbing from competitors like Snapchat and BeReal with a new photo-sharing format it calls “Instants,” which are ephemeral photos
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