To turn off Instants on Instagram, go to your inbox, press and hold the Instants stack in the bottom right corner and swipe right. Instagram's Help Center says this hides instants in your inbox, and you bring them back by holding the same corner and swiping left. There isn't a separate on or off switch in Instagram's own help pages, so the swipe is the official way to hide them.
Instants arrived on 13 May 2026, and a lot of people noticed the little pile of photos in their DMs before they knew what it was. If it's in your way, the swipe gets rid of it.
Here's how hiding works, what Instants are, how to take back one you sent by mistake, and the setting in the separate Instants app that saves your photos to your camera roll by default. Everything comes from Instagram's Help Center, its blog and Meta's newsroom, read in October 2026.
How to hide Instants on Instagram
- Open Instagram and tap Messages at the bottom to go to your inbox.
- Find the stack of photos, or the Instants icon, in the bottom right corner.
- Press and hold it, then swipe right.
- The stack disappears from your inbox.
Meta calls this snoozing. Its launch post says swiping right means you temporarily stop receiving instants, so think of it as hiding, not deleting anything.
How to bring Instants back
Changed your mind? Instagram says you have instants reappear by tapping and holding in the bottom right corner of your inbox and swiping left. Anything your friends shared while it was hidden still follows the normal rules, which means it can only be opened within 24 hours of being shared.
What Instants are, in one minute
Instants is Instagram's quick photo feature. You tap the stack in your inbox, take a photo in real time and it's sent straight to your Close Friends or your friends, which Instagram defines as followers you follow back. Here are the rules worth knowing:
| Rule | What Instagram says |
|---|---|
| Who sees them | Close Friends or followers you follow back |
| How long they last | Viewed once, and only within 24 hours of sharing |
| Editing | You can add a caption first, but you can't edit the photo |
| Gallery uploads | Not allowed, the photo has to be taken in the moment |
| Screenshots | Friends can't screenshot or screen record them |
| Your archive | Your own sent instants are kept for up to a year, visible only to you |
| Who viewed | Instagram says that information isn't available |
One honest warning from Instagram's own help page: someone can still take a photo of an instant with another phone or camera before it goes. Use it with people you trust.
How to undo an instant you sent by mistake
This is the other reason people search for turning Instants off. If you tapped the camera by accident:
- Straight after sharing, tap Undo, which appears below the camera button.
- If you've missed that, open Instants and tap Archive in the top right.
- Tap the photo, then tap More in the top right.
- Choose delete. Instagram says this unshares it for any friends who haven't opened it yet.
Once a friend has opened it, deleting won't take it back from them, so act quickly. For the same question in normal chats, see my guide on whether Instagram tells someone when you unsend a message.
Stop seeing Instants from one person
If it's one friend's photos you'd rather not see, you don't need to hide the whole feature. Meta's launch post says Instagram's block, mute and restrict controls all work on Instants, so you can limit receiving them from specific people while keeping the rest.
The Instants app saves photos to your phone by default
Instagram also has a separate Instants app, rolling out in selected countries. Its help page says that, by default, your instants are automatically saved to your phone's camera roll. To stop that:
- Open the Instants app and tap your profile photo.
- Tap Settings in the top left.
- Tap Save to photos.
- Turn off the toggle next to Save instants to photos.
Hiding Instants inside Instagram doesn't remove the separate app. If you've installed it and don't want it, delete it from your phone like any other app.
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For parents of teens
Meta says Instants is part of Teen Accounts automatically. Time spent on Instants counts towards a teen's daily Instagram limit, Sleep Mode mutes notifications between 10PM and 7AM, and parents who already supervise their teen are notified the first time the teen downloads the Instants app. If you're tightening privacy more widely, my guide on hiding your Instagram story from everyone covers the story side.
My verdict
You can't switch Instants off in a settings menu, but you don't need to. Hold the stack in the bottom right of your inbox and swipe right, and it's gone until you swipe it back. If what worries you is sending one by mistake, remember the Undo button and the archive delete, and if you use the separate app, turn off saving to your camera roll so your photos don't pile up there.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn off Instants on Instagram?
Go to your inbox, press and hold the Instants stack in the bottom right corner and swipe right. Instagram says this hides instants in your inbox.
How do I get Instants back on Instagram?
Tap and hold in the bottom right corner of your inbox and swipe left. Instagram says instants then reappear.
Is there a setting to turn off Instagram Instants completely?
Instagram's Help Center describes hiding instants by swiping right on the stack in your inbox. It doesn't describe a separate on or off switch.
Can I unsend an Instagram instant?
Yes. Tap Undo straight after sharing, or open your Instants archive, tap the photo, tap More and delete it. Instagram says that unshares it for friends who haven't opened it yet.
Who can see my Instagram instants?
Only the group you choose, your Close Friends or your friends, which Instagram defines as followers you follow back.
Can people screenshot Instagram instants?
Meta says friends can't screenshot or screen record instants. Instagram warns someone could still photograph one with another device.
Can I see who viewed my instant?
No. Instagram's Help Center says information on who viewed instants you've shared isn't available.
