Instagram is testing a new image-sharing app called “Instants,” which allows users to capture and share unedited, disappearing photos with friends for 24 hours. Unlike Instagram's polished content, Instants focuses on authentic, real-life snapshots, drawing inspiration from platforms like Snapchat.

The app offers a low-pressure way for people to connect with mutual followers or close friends, giving them the option to use it within the standard Instagram app or through the standalone Instants app. Users can add text but not edit their photos further once captured.

Instagram hopes that this new format will bring back its roots of casual content sharing and compete against apps like BeReal, which focuses on ephemeral interactions. However, with many users already using Instagram Stories for quick sharing, Instagram may find it challenging to convince people to use a separate app for the same purpose.

This move comes as Instagram has evolved from a personal platform into one dominated by ads and influencers, prompting the company to look for ways to reconnect with its original user base. Whether Instants will succeed in this mission remains to be seen.