Yesterday, Instagram introduced a new feature called “Instants” which allows users to share authentic, disappearing photos as they happen. However, many have found this feature intrusive and are eager to switch it off.

The process of capturing an Instant can lead to accidental sharing with your Friends list if you don’t manually change the setting to ‘Close Friends.’ This has led to frustration, especially for users who are accustomed to carefully curating their content before sharing.

To disable Instants entirely, navigate to your profile settings and toggle off 'Hide Instants in Inbox.' Alternatively, you can temporarily stop receiving them by holding down the pile of Instants in your inbox and swiping right. If you do share an Instant accidentally, don’t worry – an ‘Undo’ option appears beneath the shutter button immediately after capturing.

To delete a shared Instants photo from your archive, select the four-box icon at the top right of the camera and choose to unsend it if recipients haven't opened it yet. While this feature offers some control, many users are still looking for more transparency in how these photos are shared.