Founded in October 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram began as a simple photo-sharing app with distinctive square filters. Facebook acquired the platform in 2012 for $1 billion, marking a major milestone in social media history.

Instagram official Website‌: https://www.instagram.com

As of 2025, Instagram boasts:
Over 2 billion monthly active users
Available in 32 languages worldwide
500+ million daily Stories users
200+ million business profiles

Core Features

Photo/Video Sharing
The foundation of Instagram remains its visual content:
Standard posts (square/custom aspect ratios)
Carousel posts (up to 10 images/videos)
High-resolution uploads (up to 1080px)
Advanced editing tools (filters, adjustments, stickers)

Stories & Reels
Stories: 24-hour ephemeral content with interactive elements (polls, Q&A)
Reels: Short-form videos (15-90 seconds) with creative editing tools

Explore & Shopping
Algorithm-driven content discovery
Instagram Shop for e-commerce integration
Live shopping events

Technical Specifications

Supported FormatsImage: JPEG, PNG (up to 30MB)
Video: MP4, MOV (up to 4GB)
Aspect ratios: 1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9

API & Integration
Developer API for business solutions
Cross-posting to Facebook/Twitter
Third-party app integration (Canva, Lightroom)

Cultural Impact

Instagram has significantly influenced:
Digital photography trends
Influencer marketing ecosystem
Visual communication standards
Global youth culture

The platform continues evolving with AR filters, NFT integration, and enhanced creator monetization tools in 2025.