【AI前沿】How to turn off Instagram’s new Instants feature and retract photos you accidentally shared

Yesterday, Instagramglobally released a new feature called “Instants”that’s designed for sharing authentic, disappearing photos. While the Meta-owned social network billed Instants as a new format to share real-life moments as they’re happening, many users are looking for a way to turn off the feature, especially those who haveended upaccidentallysending imagesto others, not fully understanding how the feature works.When you open up Instagram’s new Instants section for the first time by tapping the mini photo stack in the bottom-right corner of your inbox, the app opens up a brief introduction about the feature that informs users that Instants disappear, there’s no viewers list, and that reactions and replies are private. The app then quickly takes you through the process of viewing and reacting to Instants.Once you get to the camera, underneath it is a shutter button, and below that is a toggle that lets you choose between “Friends” and “Close Friends.” By default, it’s set to “Friends.”What Meta doesn’t immediately make users aware of is the fact that the moment you tap the shutter button, the photo that’s captured is automatically sent to everyone on your Friends list, unless you manually switch the setting to “Close Friends” beforehand.Image Credits:InstagramSince the process of sending an image isn’t clearly explained, many users have ended up accidentally sending a photo to others they didn’t intend to. (It’s worth noting that Meta does offer an “undo” option once a photo has been sent, but it’s easy to miss because the whole experience of accidentally exposing yourself to others can be quite jarring.) Additionally, some people didn’t even realize that a photo had been sent out.On an app like Instagram, where users are accustomed to reviewing and carefully curating their content before sharing it, the feature’s instant-send design has understandably frustrated many people, considering their privacy is at stake.Unsurprisingly, many users are looking for ways to disable the feature. We’ll walk you through how to turn it off and how to unsend a photo if you accidentally shared one.How to turn off InstantsTo turn off the new Instants feature, go to your profile, click the three-line menu at the top right to open your settings. Scroll down to “Content Preferences” and toggle the “Hide Instants in Inbox.”Once you select this option, you will no longer see the Instants feature in your inbox. You also won’t see any Instants that people have sent you.If you don’t want to turn off the feature altogether, you can hold down the pile of Instants in your inbox and swipe right to temporarily stop receiving them.How to undo an InstantAs soon as you send an Instant, an “Undo” option appears beneath the shutter button, allowing you to quickly retract the photo before recipients view it.Additionally, you can go to your archive by selecting the four-box icon located at the top right of the camera and delete an Instant, which will unsend it to friends who haven’t opened it yet.TopicsApps,Instagram,Meta,SocialWhen you purchase through links in our articles,we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.Aisha MalikConsumer News ReporterAisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University.You can contact or verify outreach from Aisha by [email protected] via encrypted message at aisha_malik.01 on Signal.View BioMay 27Athens, GreeceStrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone.REGISTER NOWMost PopularMusk’s xAI is running nearly 50 gas turbines unchecked at its Mississippi data centerTim De ChantAI voice startup Vapi hits $500M valuation after winning Amazon Ring over 40 rivalsJagmeet SinghAmazon launches 30-minute delivery across the USSarah PerezFintech startup Parker files for bankruptcyAnthony HaLaid-off Oracle workers tried to negotiate better severance. Oracle said no.Julie BortSan Francisco’s housing market has lost its mindConnie LoizosUS defense contractor who sold hacking tools to Russian broker ordered to pay $10M to former employersLorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai