{"id":19914,"date":"2023-08-28T12:15:53","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T18:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/?p=19914"},"modified":"2025-02-28T00:04:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T07:04:19","slug":"history-of-instagram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/viralyft.com\/blog\/history-of-instagram","title":{"rendered":"When Was Instagram Created? Instagram\u2019s History & Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks on the planet. By 2025, experts predict that the platform will have <\/span>1.44+ billion<\/span> users. But who created Instagram? When did it launch? Let\u2019s take a trip back in time to discover the origins of Instagram and fun facts about the platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Was Instagram Created?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Instagram launched on October 6, 2010<\/strong>. In a single day, the platform amassed about 25,000 users.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who Owns Instagram?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Today, Instagram is owned by Meta Platforms<\/strong>, Inc., the parent company of Facebook. At launch, the company was owned by founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The History of Instagram\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The idea for Instagram originated with Kevin Systrom, a Stanford graduate and former Google employee. Initially, the project was called Burbn because of Systrom\u2019s interest in bourbon and whiskey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Burbn was inspired by Foursquare and other location-based platforms. Users were able to check in at different places and post photos. At the time, posting photos and locations wasn\u2019t a staple on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

Systrom secured funding for Burbn, and he recruited co-founder Mike Krieger, who had previously worked on Meebo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Together, Krieger and Systrom reworked the idea of Burbn to focus more on posting photos taken on mobile devices. They called this new idea Instagram.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instagram\u2019s prototype was minimalistic and focused primarily on images, liking and commenting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The app was finalized in just a few months, and the first photos<\/strong> were posted<\/strong> on Instagram in 2010.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Within three months of its launch, Instagram has amassed more than one million users. The platform continued to grow in popularity, and 18 months later, Facebook purchased it for $1 billion in cash and stock.<\/span><\/p>\n

The purchase came just one month before Facebook went public.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Posts Have Changed Over Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Initially, Instagram images were required to be square \u2013 640 x 640 pixels. That size was perfect for fitting the width of iPhones.<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until 2015 that the social network expanded photo sizes to 1080 pixels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, feed posts can contain a wide range of information, including:<\/span><\/p>\n

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