Instagram launches another copycat app that’s dead on arrival

Instagram is notorious for blatantly copying features from some of the most popular apps to improve its own product. So far, that has mostly worked, but its latest app is unlikely to stay around very long.

Instagram launched Instants on iOS and Android

Instagram launched another copycat app called Instants. Available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, the app transfers the “Shots” functionality from the message section of Instagram to a separate experience.

Instants is designed to quickly share in-the-moment photos with your friends and doesn’t allow users to upload photos from the camera roll or any editing. The app opens directly to the camera, and any photo you share will disappear in 24 hours.



The new app is directly tied with the main Instagram app, so you can view and share Instants on both apps. Currently, Instants is available only in some countries, including Spain, Italy, Israel, Bolivia, and New Zealand, among others.

Copy of a copy

That’s far from the first time Instagram has copied popular apps in an attempt to stay relevant with younger users. Most famously, the company lifted its Stories function from Snapchat, while its Reels are a blatant copy of TikTok.

Instants is a mix of Snapchat’s user interface and BeReal’s candid photos. It also looks a little like Locket, all of which are focused on ephemeral, authentic, and personal sharing.

Dead on arrival

Much bigger issue for Instagram is the fact that the app is taking on ideas that are already not that popular. BeReal surged in popularity in 2022, but since then it has been losing users.

In fact, the vast majority of quick sharing is already happening in Instagram Stories, which are quite popular. I’ve had “Shots” in my Instagram messages for a while now, but I haven’t seen anyone using it more than once.

Asking users to install another app is challenging, especially when that app doesn’t add any particularly fresh features and is offered by Meta. It’ll be interesting to see how Instants fares, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear about its demise sooner rather than later.

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