Photo-based social network Instagram is launching Instagram Stories, a feature that enables users to share and augment photos that are intended to stick around for no more than 24 hours.

Text, digital stickers, and drawings can be added to images filed to Instagram Stories; comments take the form of private Direct Messages, and Instagram's announcement encourages users not to worry about "overposting."

"Instagram has always been a place to share the moments you want to remember. Now you can share your highlights and everything in between, too," it advises.

The move is being received as a measure to harness the appeal of temporary messaging network Snapchat in a style that fits in with Instagram's own ethos.