Where Data Tells the Story
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Instagram has crossed 3 billion monthly active users, a milestone that places it alongside Facebook and WhatsApp as one of Meta’s largest platforms. The figure highlights how far the app has grown since its early days as a simple photo-sharing service.
When Meta, then called Facebook, acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion, the app had no clear revenue stream and a relatively small base. Over the years, Instagram’s adoption accelerated steadily, surpassing 1 billion users in 2018 and doubling again by 2025. Company data shows that in 2013 the app had just 130 million monthly users. By 2020 it had reached nearly 1.5 billion, and by 2022 it climbed past 2 billion. The sharpest jump came in the last three years, pushing the platform to the 3 billion mark this September.
Much of this momentum has come from short-form video. The Reels feature, launched in 2020, has become central to the platform’s growth, competing directly with TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Direct messaging and algorithmic recommendations have also shaped engagement, as Meta continues to push the app beyond photo sharing toward video and private interaction. Industry estimates suggest Instagram now contributes more than half of Meta’s advertising revenue in the United States, underscoring its commercial weight.
Alongside growth, Meta is preparing updates that give users more influence over what appears in their feeds. Early tests will let people adjust which topics drive recommendations, refining the way the algorithm presents Reels and other suggested posts. The navigation bar is also expected to be adjusted, giving quicker access to direct messages while shifting the location of content upload tools. These changes follow years of debate about whether Instagram prioritizes relevance or familiarity, as many long-time users prefer content from friends over suggested clips.
The expansion makes Instagram part of a trio of Meta platforms exceeding 3 billion monthly users, after Facebook and WhatsApp both hit the threshold earlier in 2025. Meta no longer discloses detailed user numbers each quarter, instead providing a combined figure for all its apps. In July, that total reached 3.48 billion daily active people across its services.
While Instagram has grown into Meta’s most culturally influential app, the rise has created tension inside the company as Facebook struggles to hold younger audiences. The shifting balance has raised questions about how Meta will keep its original social network relevant while continuing to invest in newer features that power Instagram’s expansion.