Instagram's New ‘Instants' Feature: A Millennial and Gen Z Verdict

Instagram’s latest bid to reignite the excitement of its users by boosting authentic, low-effort content is here.

It goes by the name of "Instants," and in many ways, it brings to mind memories of Snapchat’s heyday and the 2022’s buzziest photo app BeReal, with its main function being to snap spontaneous shots in everyday moments for users to share with followers and friends.

Over the years, Instagram has introduced many new features, often in a bid to compete with other apps, to varying degrees of interest from users. Its 2016 introduction of Stories, which replicated a popular Snapchat feature, remains hugely successful a decade later. IGTV launched in 2018 as a home for longer videos, but was phased out by 2022. Now, Instagram’s videos are housed as Reels-launched in 2020 as TikTok soared in popularity.

It’s yet to be seen which way Instagram Instants will go, but to get a sense of its promise, we asked two Newsweek reporters-a Gen Zer and a millennial to represent the app’s core users-to give us their first thoughts.

How Instants Works

The new feature, rolled out on May 13, lives in the bottom right corner of the Instagram inbox page, where users typically go to access direct messages.

Users tap a mini stack of photos to access the camera, take an unfiltered snap, add a caption if they so choose-notably before, not after, taking the shot-then post it to either "Close Friends" or their general followers list.

Photos will disappear once viewed, though a private archive is set to retain them for up to a year. A recap function that can be accessed in the feature lets users compile their Instants into a short clip to be shared to their Stories.

An undo button, which is visible before taking an image on Instants, offers a brief moment of review, where users can opt to delete and retake the image if it did not turn out as they hoped.

The feature arrives at a moment when Instagram, long accused of fostering performative, heavily curated content, appears to be looking to appeal to younger users-now largely on TikTok-in their pursuit of raw, authentic content.

These are our thoughts on the feature.

A Millennial Take

Alyce Collins, Newsweek’s Senior Life and Trends Reporter.

The power of nostalgia is undeniable, which is why we have seen it folded into fashion, music, movies, and now it seems, social media. For me, Instagram's latest offering harks back to the messy 2010s, which were chaotic and full of individualism for millennials.

Social media nowadays focuses on curated perfection, but Instants seems to be a complete reversal. The idea of posting an unfiltered selfie for people to look at once and never be reminded of again? How very 2016. That model worked 10 years ago because there was a collective goal to live carefree and be unapologetic, but the world of social media could not be further from that now.

When trying Instants for the first time, I was struck by how quick and automatic the process is. You take a picture and before you know it, the image appears in your collection of Instants. I guess the clue is in the name, but even Snapchat let you check each picture before you hit send. There is also a distinct lack of filters and playful imagery that Snapchat was known for-who could forget the dog ears and halo crowns?

Instagram is marketing the idea as a way to share "in the moment," presumably because people want more organic content as opposed to that which is overly styled. But for me, it feels like that era is in the past.

Perhaps this is aimed at a younger demographic and millennials will continue posting on their Instagram Stories as usual. Given Stories felt alien when the update first arrived, maybe Instants just needs a little time.

A Gen Z Take

Melissa Fleur Afshar, Newsweek‘s Life and Trends Reporter

New Instagram features always add an element of fun! Especially for the people who use Instagram frequently, whether that be for their personal use or work. For that group-which I am in-I think the new feature is definitely a win. It gives us one more way to reach our audience.

I see Meta's vision here with wanting to create a space for more authenticity on Instagram.

AI-generated content has started flooding social media platforms, and before that, hyper-stylized and highly edited, photoshopped images were being pushed, mainly by brands and influencers. People like me gradually became disillusioned with the level of perfection constantly being pushed while we’re trying to relax during our bedtime scroll.

Instants, which basically forces the user to post only candid, spontaneous content, is a way to try and combat that without changing the core algorithm.

With Instants, Meta seems to want to take us back to a time when social media used to be casual, fun, a way to connect with friends and deepen real connections, instead of being a place to flex your highlight reel or soft launch your identity in squares.

I don't think Instants will be as popular or as frequently used as the Stories feature, which has become a staple of Instagram and tremendously popular on competing platforms too, but sure, people who use the app frequently will enjoy it. I, however, don't see myself reaching for it much as I would just post to my Story instead.

I doubt the feature will usher in a new wave of authentic, ‘BeReal' style content as much of Instagram is already not like that, but here's hoping!

The Verdict

Instants seems to evoke nostalgia for a social media era of the past for both a millennial and a Gen Z user-a nice break from the hyper-polished feeds.

Still, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into the kind of daily use that something like Stories achieved.

With so many options for posting content today, the bar is higher than ever.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM.