“Meta” announced the launch of a new, independent application called “Instants”, with the aim of enhancing the interaction of users, especially young people, by sharing temporary images in a manner similar to Snapchat.
This new application allows users to take photos and share them instantly with friends, as the application opens directly to the camera, focusing on the idea of spontaneous and unedited content, as photos disappear after viewing them only once.
The “Instants” app focuses on providing a simple user experience, and offers limited editing tools, encouraging users to publish photos as they are without using filters or adjustments. This trend reflects the company’s desire to promote automated interaction rather than traditional, modified content. “Meta” allows the application to be downloaded for Android devices via the Google Play Store in some countries.
The application is considered an extension of a previous feature that existed within Instagram under the name “Shots,” which allowed sending photos that were displayed only once before they disappeared. This concept combined features from Snapchat and the BeReal app, with an emphasis on real-time interaction.
Meta began developing the “Instants” application during the past few months, after discovering references to it within Instagram’s code last February. At that time, Meta confirmed that it was testing the idea without clear plans to launch it, before it now appears as an independent application.
This move comes at a time when Snapchat’s growth rate is slowing, and even declining in some regions, which may give Meta an opportunity to put pressure on one of the competing platforms.
The roots of the competition between the two companies go back to 2013, when Mark Zuckerberg offered to acquire Snapchat for $3 billion, an offer that was rejected by then-current CEO Evan Spiegel. Since then, Meta has continued to develop features that mimic the app, most notably the “Stories” feature, which has become a staple of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, and has influenced Snapchat’s growth trajectory.
It is worth noting that this is not the first attempt by “Meta” to compete with Snapchat in the field of temporary sharing; In 2013, the company launched the “Poke” application as a direct version that simulates the idea of temporary photos, but it did not achieve the desired success and was closed after only 17 months. In 2014, I tried Slingshot, which only lasted 6 months before it was discontinued as well.
With the exception of the “Stories” feature, which has become a staple of the “Meta” platforms, the company’s other attempts have not succeeded in achieving a tangible impact.
