Podcast Episode
A Meta spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that the company is building an internal prototype, though it is not yet testing externally.
By spinning Instants out into its own app, Meta is following the same playbook it used with Threads, which launched as a standalone Twitter competitor in twenty twenty-three rather than being built into Instagram.
Meta Building Standalone Snapchat Clone Called Instants
February 10, 2026
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Meta is internally prototyping a standalone app called Instants that lets users send disappearing photos to friends. The app directly targets Snapchat's core functionality and continues Meta's long history of replicating its rival's most popular features.
Meta Takes Another Shot at Snapchat
Meta is building a standalone app called Instants designed to let users send disappearing photos, positioning it as a direct competitor to Snapchat. The prototype was first revealed by mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi, who reverse-engineered Instagram and shared a screenshot with the tagline "Share disappearing photos with friends."A Meta spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that the company is building an internal prototype, though it is not yet testing externally.
From In-App Feature to Standalone Experience
The Instants concept already exists in a limited form within Instagram's main app, where it has been testing under various names including Shots and Quicksnap in select countries. The feature allows users to send unedited photos through direct messages that disappear once opened and expire twenty-four hours after sending. Photos can only be sent to mutual followers, and users cannot apply filters or edit images.By spinning Instants out into its own app, Meta is following the same playbook it used with Threads, which launched as a standalone Twitter competitor in twenty twenty-three rather than being built into Instagram.
A Familiar Pattern
The move continues Meta's well-documented history of replicating Snapchat features. Instagram Stories, launched in twenty sixteen, closely copied Snapchat's signature disappearing posts format. Snapchat chief executive Evan Spiegel has previously mocked Meta's approach, changing his LinkedIn title to "VP Product at Meta" in twenty twenty-five.Part of a Broader Standalone Strategy
Instants joins a growing roster of Meta standalone apps including Threads, the Edits video editing app, the Meta AI assistant app, and a standalone version of its AI video generation tool Vibes, currently testing in Brazil and Mexico. Instagram has increasingly prioritised friend-to-friend communication, looking to Snapchat as inspiration for how younger users prefer to interact with close friends.Published February 10, 2026 at 10:25am