Instagram[a] is an American photo and short-formvideo sharingsocial networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters, be organized by hashtags, and be associated with a location via geographical tagging. Posts can be shared publicly or with preapproved followers. Users can browse other users’ content by tags and locations, view trending content, like photos, and follow other users to add their content to a personal feed.[10] A Meta-operated image-centric social media platform, it is available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and the web. Users can take photos and edit them using built-in filters and other tools, then share them on other social media platforms like Facebook. It supports 32 languages including English, Hindi, Spanish, French, Korean, and Japanese.[11]
History
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Instagram.
Instagram began development in San Francisco as Burbn, a mobile check-in app created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. On March 5, 2010, Systrom closed a $500,000 (equivalent to $682,200 in 2023) seed funding round with Baseline Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz while working on Burbn.[12][13] Realizing that it was too similar to Foursquare, they refocused their app on photo-sharing, which had become a popular feature among its users.[14][15] They renamed it Instagram, a portmanteau of instant camera and telegram.[16]
2010–2011: Beginnings and major funding
Josh Riedel joined the company in October as Community Manager,[17] Shayne Sweeney joined in November as an engineer,[17] and Jessica Zollman joined as a Community Evangelist in August 2011.[17][18]
The first Instagram post was a photo of South Beach Harbor at Pier 38, posted by Mike Krieger at 5:26 p.m. on July 16, 2010.[19][15] On October 6, 2010, the Instagram iOS app was officially released through the App Store. In February 2011, it was reported that Instagram had raised $7 million (equivalent to $9,357,057 in 2023) in Series A funding from a variety of investors, including Benchmark Capital, Jack Dorsey, Chris Sacca (through Capital fund), and Adam D’Angelo.[20] The deal valued Instagram at around $20 million. In April 2012, Instagram raised $50 million (equivalent to $65,610,000 in 2023) from venture capitalists with a valuation of $500 million (equivalent to $656,100,000 in 2023).[21]Joshua Kushner was the second largest investor in Instagram’s Series B fundraising round, leading his investment firm, Thrive Capital, to double its money after the sale to Facebook.[22]
2012–2014: Additional platforms and acquisition by Facebook
On April 3, 2012, Instagram released a version of its app for Android phones,[23][24] and it was downloaded more than one million times in less than one day.[25] The Android app has since received two significant updates: first, in March 2014, which cut the file size of the app by half and added performance improvements;[26][27] then in April 2017, to add an offline mode that allows users to view and interact with content without an Internet connection. At the time of the announcement, it was reported that 80% of Instagram’s 600 million users were located outside the U.S., and while the aforementioned functionality was live at its announcement, Instagram also announced its intention to make more features available offline, and that they were “exploring an iOS version”. On April 9, 2012, Facebook, Inc. (now Meta Platforms) bought Instagram for $1 billion (equivalent to $1,312,000,000 in 2023) in cash and stock,[28][29][30] with a plan to keep the company independently managed.[31][32][33] Britain’s Office of Fair Trading approved the deal on August 14, 2012,[34] and on August 22, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. closed its investigation, allowing the deal to proceed.[35] On September 6, 2012, the deal between Instagram and Facebook officially closed with a purchase price of $300 million in cash and 23 million shares of stock.[36]
The deal closed just before Facebook’s scheduled initial public offering according to CNN.[33] The deal price was compared to the $35 million Yahoo! paid for Flickr in 2005.[33] Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook was “committed to building and growing Instagram independently”.[33] According to Wired, the deal netted Systrom $400 million.[37]
In November 2012, Instagram launched website profiles, allowing anyone to see user feeds from a web browser with limited functionality,[38] as well as a selection of badges, and web widget buttons to link to profiles.[39] Since the app’s launch it had used the Foursquare API technology to provide named location tagging. In March 2014, Instagram started to test and switch the technology to use Facebook Places.[40][41]
2015–2017: Redesign and Windows app
In June 2015, the desktop website user interface was redesigned to become more flat and minimalistic, but with more screen space for each photo and to resemble the layout of Instagram’s mobile website.[42][43][44] Furthermore, one row of pictures only has three instead of five photos to match the mobile layout. The slideshow banner[45][46] on the top of profile pages, which simultaneously slide-showed seven picture tiles of pictures posted by the user, alternating at different times in a random order, has been removed. In addition, the formerly angular profile pictures became circular.
2018–2019: IGTV, removal of the like counter, management changes
To comply with the GDPR regulations regarding data portability, Instagram introduced the ability for users to download an archive of their user data in April 2018.[66][67][68] IGTV launched on June 20, 2018, as a standalone video application. The application was shut down and removed from app stores in March 2022, citing low usage and a shift to short-form video content.[69] On September 24, 2018, Krieger and Systrom announced in a statement they would be stepping down from Instagram.[70][71] On October 1, 2018, it was announced that Adam Mosseri would be the new head of Instagram.[72][73][74]
- 2020–present
In January 2011, Instagram introduced hashtags to help users discover both photos and each other.[157][158] Instagram encourages users to make tags both specific and relevant, rather than tagging generic words like “photo”, to make photographs stand out and to attract like-minded Instagram users.[159]
| Hashtags | Features and tools |
| Explore | Photographic filters |
HashtagsIn December 2017, Instagram began to allow users to follow hashtags, which display relevant highlights of the topic in their feeds.[162][163] The ability to search "Recent" hashtags was temporarily disabled during the 2020 U.S. elections, to prevent the spread of misinformation.[164] In 2022 this was again tested on some users, and in April 2023 the ability to search recent hashtags was removed entirely. Now, users are only able to see a curated selection of "popular" posts using a given hashtag. Instagram said that this is to prevent abuse and so that hashtags do not help users gain views, but it has been noted that using hashtags is the only free method for a user to reach past their existing followers.[165]
Features and tools
Users can upload photographs and short videos, follow other users' feeds,[130] and geotag images with the name of a location.[131] Users can set their account as "private", thereby requiring that they approve any new follower requests.[132] Users can connect their Instagram account to other social networking sites, enabling them to share uploaded photos to those sites.[133] In September 2011, a new version of the app included new and live filters, instant tilt–shift, high-resolution photographs, optional borders, one-click rotation, and an updated icon.[134][135] Photos were initially restricted to a square, 1:1 aspect ratio; since August 2015, the app supports portrait and widescreen aspect ratios as well.[136][137][138] Users could formerly view a map of a user's geotagged photos. The feature was removed in September 2016, citing low usage.[139][140]
Explore
In June 2012, Instagram introduced "Explore", a tab inside the app that displays popular photos, photos taken at nearby locations, and search.[166] The tab was updated in June 2015 to feature trending tags and places, curated content, and the ability to search for locations.[167] In April 2016, Instagram added a "Videos You Might Like" channel to the tab,[168][169] followed by an "Events" channel in August, featuring videos from concerts, sports games, and other live events,[170][171] followed by the addition of Instagram Stories in October.[172][173] The tab was later expanded again in November 2016 after Instagram Live launched to display an algorithmically curated page of the "best" Instagram Live videos currently airing.[174] In May 2017, Instagram once again updated the Explore tab to promote public Stories content from nearby places.[175]
Photographic filters
Instagram offers a number of photographic filters that users can apply to their images. In February 2012, Instagram added a "Lux" filter, an effect that "lightens shadows, darkens highlights and increases contrast".[176][177] In December 2014, Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden, and Perpetua were five new filters added to the Instagram filter family.[178]
- Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels is the short-form section of the American social media platform Instagram.[193] Reels focuses on vertical videos that are less than 90 seconds of duration and various features for user interaction.[194] As of November 2024 Reels average collectively 150 billion views a day, Creators earn money based on the amount of views they receive, or through ad revenue.[195] The increased popularity of Instagram Reels has led to concerns about addiction for teenagers.[196]
In November 2019, it was announced that Instagram would start to roll out a new feature to Brazil known as Instagram Reels. It would then expand to France and Germany. Instagram Reels was officially launched in Pakistan in August 2022, two years after its global rollout in August 2020.[197] It functions similarly to the Chinese video service TikTok, focusing on allowing users to create short videos already set to existing sounds from other clips.[197] Users could make up to 15 (later 30) second videos using this feature.[198] Reels also uses existing Instagram filters and editing tools.[189]
In July 2020, Instagram rolled out Reels to India after TikTok was banned in the country.[199] Then, the following month, Reels officially launched in 50 countries including the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.[200] Then in August of that year, Instagram introduced a reels button on the home page.[201] On June 17, 2021, Instagram launched full-screen advertisements in Reels. The ads are similar to regular reels and can run up to 30 seconds. They are distinguished from regular content by the “sponsored” tag under the account name.[202] Despite the “TikTokification” of Reels and the parent company Meta spending millions on courting content creators, user engagement continued to lag way behind TikTok as of 2022.[203] Then Instagram started rolling out a new feature with made Reels up to 90 seconds long beginning in June 2022.[204] After a period of testing, a duration of up to three minutes was announced in January 2025.[205]
On February 26, 2025, Instagram Reels came under fire after numerous users reported a sudden surge in violent and graphic content appearing in their feeds.[206][207] Meta issued a public apology, stating that a technical error led to the unintended recommendation of such content. A Meta spokesperson explained, “We have fixed an error that caused some users to see content in their Instagram Reels feed that should not have been recommended. We apologize for the mistake.”[208][209][206] Since its inception in 2020, the usage of Instagram Reels has continuously increased. In September 2022, Instagram Reels generated over 140 billion views daily.[210] The number of monthly users also increased from 1.5 billion in 2022 to 1.8 billion as of 2024.[211][212]
The Wall Street Journal reported that some parents are concerned about the effects of short-form videos on their children, as there is no way to disable Instagram or set limits. When children watch short-form videos, they learn to expect continual stimulation and fast-paced changes, which can cause problems when engaging in activities that require greater focus, such as reading.[214] Recent studies highlighted the connection between short-form videos such as Instagram Reels and the brain’s reward system, specifically dopamine release. According to Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and chief of Stanford University’s dual diagnosis addiction clinic, brief attention-grabbing videos act as powerful stimuli triggering dopamine surges akin to other addictive behaviors.[215] The rapid and easily consumable nature of short-form videos can elicit high levels of dopamine; since dopamine serves as a motivator rather than a direct source of pleasure, individuals are compelled to seek rewarding activities and become addicted to them. Such neurochemical responses lead to addictive patterns and behaviors, entering a vicious cycle. Digital addiction can lead to shorter attention spans and slower cognitive processing.
Instagram Direct
In December 2013, Instagram announced Instagram Direct, a feature that lets users interact through private messaging (colloquially called “DM” OR “DMs”; in some regions, the messages may be known simply as “direct”/”directs”). Users who follow each other can send private messages with photos and videos, in contrast to the public-only requirement that was previously in place. When users receive a private message from someone they don’t follow, the message is marked as pending and the user must accept to see it. Users can send a photo to a maximum of 15 people.[216][217][218] The feature received a major update in September 2015, adding conversation threading and making it possible for users to share locations, hashtag pages, and profiles through private messages directly from the news feed. Additionally, users can now reply to private messages with text, emoji or by clicking on a heart icon. A camera inside Direct lets users take a photo and send it to the recipient without leaving the conversation.[219][220][221] A new update in November 2016 let users make their private messages “disappear” after being viewed by the recipient, with the sender receiving a notification if the recipient takes a screenshot.[222][223]
In August 2016, Instagram launched Instagram Stories, a feature that allows users to take photos, add effects and layers, and add them to their Instagram story. Images uploaded to a user’s story expire after 24 hours. The media noted the feature’s similarities to Snapchat.[233][234] In response to criticism that it copied functionality from Snapchat, CEO Kevin Systrom told Recode that “Day One: Instagram was a combination of Hipstamatic, Twitter [and] some stuff from Facebook like the ‘Like’ button. You can trace the roots of every feature anyone has in their app, somewhere in the history of technology”. Although Systrom acknowledged the criticism as “fair”, Recode wrote that “he likened the two social apps’ common features to the auto industry: Multiple car companies can coexist, with enough differences among them that they serve different consumer audiences”. Systrom further stated that “When we adopted [Stories], we decided that one of the really annoying things about the format is that it just kept going and you couldn’t pause it to look at something, you couldn’t rewind. We did all that, we implemented that.” He also told the publication that Snapchat “didn’t have filters, originally. They adopted filters because Instagram had filters and a lot of others were trying to adopt filters as well.”[235][236]
- No tags
In April 2017, Instagram Stories incorporated augmented reality stickers, a “clone” of Snapchat’s functionality.[241][242][240]
In May 2017, Instagram expanded the augmented reality sticker feature to support face filters, letting users add specific visual features onto their faces.[243][244] Later in May, TechCrunch reported about tests of a Location Stories feature in Instagram Stories, where public Stories content at a certain location are compiled and displayed on a business, landmark or place’s Instagram page.[245] A few days later, Instagram announced “Story Search”, in which users can search for geographic locations or hashtags and the app displays relevant public Stories content featuring the search term.[175][246]
In June 2017, Instagram revised its live-video functionality to allow users to add their live broadcast to their story for availability in the next 24 hours, or discard the broadcast immediately.[247] In July, Instagram started allowing users to respond to Stories content by sending photos and videos, complete with Instagram effects such as filters, stickers, and hashtags.[248][249] Stories were made available for viewing on Instagram’s mobile and desktop websites in late August 2017.[250][251]
Verified badges on Instagram
Advertising
Emily White joined Instagram as Director of Business Operations in April 2013.[263][264] She said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September 2013 that the company should be ready to begin selling advertising by September 2014 as a way to generate business from a popular entity that had not yet created profit for its parent company.[265] White left Instagram in December 2013 to join Snapchat.[266][267] In August 2014, James Quarles became Instagram’s Global Head of Business and Brand Development, tasked with overseeing advertisement, sales efforts, and developing new “monetization products”, according to a spokesperson.[268]
In October 2013, Instagram announced that video and image ads would soon appear in feeds for users in the United States,[269][270] with the first image advertisements displaying on November 1, 2013.[271][272] Video ads followed nearly a year later on October 30, 2014.[273][274] In June 2014, Instagram announced the rollout of ads in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia,[275] with ads starting to roll out that autumn.[276] In March 2015, Instagram announced it would implement “carousel ads”, allowing advertisers to display multiple images with options for linking to additional content.[277][278] The company launched carousel image ads in October 2015,[279][280] and video carousel ads in March 2016.[281]
Fact-checking
On December 16, 2019, Facebook announced it would expand its fact-checking programs towards Instagram,[309] by using third-party fact-checkers organizations false information is able to be identified, reviewed and labeled as false information. Content when rated as false or partly false is removed from the explore page and hashtag pages, additionally content rated as false or partly false are labeled as such. With the addition of Facebook fact-checking program came the use of image matching technology to find further instances of misinformation. If a piece of content is labeled false or partly false on Facebook or Instagram then duplicates of such content will also be labeled as false.[310]
