History of Instagram Timeline

(October 6, 2010 – Present)

Instagram is a photo- and video-sharing social networking platform founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Launched in October 2010, it quickly grew in popularity for its filters and simple interface, was acquired by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion, and has since expanded with features like Stories, IGTV, Shopping, and Reels to become one of the world's most influential social media platforms. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Founding and Early Growth

Kevin Systrom begins work on Burbn

Mar 2010

Kevin Systrom began developing Burbn, a location-based check-in app, which would later be pivoted into a photo-sharing application after he met with investors from Baseline Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.

Mike Krieger joins as co-founder

Aug 2010

Mike Krieger, a Stanford graduate and former Meebo engineer, joined Kevin Systrom to co-found the company. The pair refocused Burbn entirely on photo sharing, inspired by Systrom's love of photography and whiskey.

Image source: Mike Krieger

Instagram app launches on iOS

Oct 6, 2010

Instagram officially launched in the Apple App Store. The app allowed users to take photos, apply digital filters, and share them with followers. It attracted 25,000 users on its first day.

Instagram reaches one million users

Dec 12, 2010

Just over two months after launch, Instagram reached one million registered users, demonstrating extraordinary early growth for a mobile photo-sharing service.

Instagram reaches ten million users

Sep 26, 2011

Less than a year after launch, Instagram announced it had reached ten million registered users, cementing its status as one of the fastest-growing apps in history.

Time names Instagram App of the Year

Dec 2011

Time magazine named Instagram its iPhone App of the Year for 2011, recognizing the app's cultural impact and popularity among mobile photographers.

Instagram launches on Android

Apr 3, 2012

The long-awaited Android version of Instagram launched just days before the Facebook acquisition announcement, gaining over one million downloads within twelve hours.

Image source: Instagram

Instagram reaches 150 million users

Sep 2013

Instagram announced it had surpassed 150 million monthly active users, continuing its rapid growth trajectory following the Android launch and Facebook acquisition.

Instagram reaches 300 million users

Dec 10, 2014

Instagram announced 300 million monthly active users, surpassing Twitter's user base and becoming one of the largest social networks in the world.

Instagram reaches 700 million users

Apr 26, 2017

Instagram announced 700 million monthly active users, having added 100 million users in just four months, driven largely by international growth and the success of Stories.

Instagram reaches two billion users

Jan 2022

Instagram reportedly reached two billion monthly active users, doubling its audience in roughly four years and solidifying its place as one of the world's largest social media platforms.

Product Features

Hashtags introduced to Instagram

Jan 2011

Instagram added hashtag support, allowing users to tag photos and discover content by topic. Hashtags quickly became central to how content was organized and discovered on the platform.

Image source: Hashtag

Video sharing feature launches

Jun 20, 2013

Instagram introduced video sharing, allowing users to record and post up to 15 seconds of video with filters, directly competing with Twitter's Vine app.

Direct messaging feature debuts

Dec 12, 2013

Instagram Direct launched, allowing users to send photos and videos privately to specific individuals or groups rather than posting publicly, expanding the platform beyond public sharing.

Landscape and portrait photos supported

Aug 27, 2015

Instagram broke from its signature square format, allowing users to upload landscape and portrait photos and videos, a major shift requested by users since launch.

Boomerang app launches

Oct 22, 2015

Instagram released Boomerang, a standalone app that creates short looping videos, adding to Instagram's growing family of creative tools alongside Hyperlapse and Layout.

Image source: Boomerang effect (psychology)

Instagram Stories launches

Aug 2, 2016

Instagram Stories debuted, allowing users to share ephemeral photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. The feature closely mirrored Snapchat Stories and became enormously popular, reaching 100 million daily users within two months.

Instagram copies Snapchat with disappearing messages

Nov 21, 2016

Instagram added disappearing photos and videos in direct messages, further adopting features popularized by Snapchat as competition between the two platforms intensified.

Live video broadcasting rolls out

Nov 21, 2016

Instagram Live launched in the United States, allowing users to broadcast live video to their followers through Stories, joining the live-streaming trend popularized by Periscope and Facebook Live.

IGTV launches for long-form video

Jun 20, 2018

Instagram launched IGTV, a standalone app and in-app section for long-form vertical video up to an hour, positioning itself against YouTube. The feature was later folded into the main app and eventually discontinued.

Image source: IGTV

Reels launches to compete with TikTok

Aug 5, 2020

Instagram Reels launched globally, allowing users to create and discover short-form videos set to music. The feature was a direct response to TikTok's explosive growth and became a strategic priority for the platform.

Chronological feed options restored

Mar 2022

After years of criticism, Instagram reintroduced the option for users to view their feeds chronologically or from favorite accounts, reversing part of its 2016 shift to a fully algorithmic feed.

Acquisition and Business

Instagram raises $7 million Series A funding

Feb 2, 2011

Instagram raised $7 million in Series A funding led by Benchmark Capital, valuing the company at approximately $25 million and enabling it to expand its small team.

Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion

Apr 9, 2012

Facebook announced it would acquire Instagram for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock, one of the most famous tech acquisitions ever. At the time, Instagram had around 30 million users and only 13 employees.

Image source: Reels (Meta)

Systrom and Krieger reject Snapchat offer reports

May 2014

Reports emerged that Facebook had considered swapping Instagram to Snapchat in an acquisition negotiation, but Systrom and Krieger declined, choosing to keep building Instagram independently within Facebook.

Image source: Snapchat

Advertising opens to all businesses

Sep 30, 2015

Instagram opened its advertising platform to all businesses worldwide, moving beyond invite-only ads and establishing advertising as a core revenue stream under Facebook.

Systrom and Krieger resign from Instagram

Sep 24, 2018

Co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger abruptly resigned from Instagram amid reported tensions with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the app's autonomy and direction. Adam Mosseri was named head of Instagram shortly after.

Image source: Kevin Systrom

Controversies and Challenges

Terms of service backlash over ad rights

Dec 17, 2012 - Dec 20, 2012

A proposed update to Instagram's terms of service appeared to grant the company rights to sell users' photos for advertising without compensation, sparking widespread outrage. Instagram apologized days later and reverted the language.

Algorithmic feed replaces chronological order

Mar 2016

Instagram began shifting from a strictly chronological feed to an algorithmically ranked feed based on user interests and engagement, drawing criticism from many users who petitioned to keep the chronological timeline.

Instagram hides like counts in test markets

Jul 2019

Instagram began testing hiding like counts in several countries, including Canada and Australia, citing mental health concerns about social comparison. The change sparked debate among creators who relied on likes for engagement metrics.

US government antitrust lawsuit targets Instagram deal

Dec 9, 2020

The US Federal Trade Commission and dozens of states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook seeking to unwind its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, alleging the company bought rivals to eliminate competition.

Image source: Meta Platforms

Adam Mosseri testifies before Congress on child safety

Dec 8, 2021

Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified before a US Senate subcommittee about the platform's effects on teenagers, following internal research leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen suggesting Instagram could harm young users' mental health.

Image source: Adam Mosseri

Key Facts

Instagram was launched on October 6, 2010, by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, originally as a location-based app called Burbn before pivoting to photo sharing.
The app reached 1 million users within just two months of its launch and 10 million users within a year.
Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for approximately $1 billion, one of the most notable tech acquisitions of the era.
Instagram Stories, introduced in August 2016, was inspired by Snapchat and became a defining feature that helped drive massive user growth.
Instagram Reels, launched in 2020 as a response to TikTok's popularity, cemented Instagram's shift toward short-form video content.

Source

This History of Instagram timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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