“Mistaken posting” is terrifying: Instagram’s BeReal-like new feature “Instant,” which sends as soon as you take a photo, and how to turn it off

Meta’s new Instagram feature, Instants, automatically sends photos to mutual followers without a preview, sparking concern about accidental posts.

There is no full off switch, but users can effectively avoid it by hiding the Instants inbox through Settings and activity → Content settings.

The feature’s instant-send behavior raises privacy and unintended-sharing risks, making control options important for users.