Instagram Facts

Instagram Facts Infographics

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are the creators of Instagram.

The American computer programmer and the Brazilian-American entrepreneur and software engineer teamed up and created Instagram for iOS in January 2010. Eventually, the Instagram app experienced continued growth in January 2012, eventually releasing the Android app in April later that year.

Facebook owns Instagram now.

In April 2012, Facebook spent $1 billion on the purchase of the Android app following its release. Since then, Facebook Inc. has become the official owner of Instagram.

Kevin Systrom designed the first Instagram logo in 2010.

The original Instagram logo featured a knock-off Polaroid camera with a rainbow stripe. Moreover, the logo represented the original use of the project as a platform for taking and sharing photos. This design opted for a natural look. How’s that for Instagram facts?

Later in 2010, Systrom hired Cole Rise to revise the original Instagram logo.

When the co-founder realized the subtlety of his logo approach, Systrom decided to hire professional help to generate a better idea. Photographer and designer Cole Rise got his inspiration from the 1950s Bell & Howell camera. Later on, Rise created a simpler image of a mobile camera for the newer version of the Instagram logo.

The debut of Instagram v2.0 came out with an updated Instagram logo in 2011.

While there was a slight update on the Instagram logo, it maintained its overall look.

Instagram launched a completely new Instagram logo in 2016.

Along with the new logo came an updated user interface. Several users criticized the design, but Instagram remained unfazed for the following years. While completely different now, the new Instagram logo still managed to retain the key features of the old logo.

The new Instagram icon features a minimalistic sunset-colored outline of the original logo’s Polaroid cam.

This logo features a smooth color gradient from light orange to twilight blue on the upper right of the Instagram icon. This subtle gradient symbolizes progress. Moreover, the Instagram icon also creates an optimistic image of a new day. Definitely one of the cooler Instagram facts.

The average Instagram user spends 53 minutes per day on the app.

As of June 2018, the average time users spend on Instagram amounts to an hour per day. To compare, Facebook users log an average of 58 minutes per day as shown on the same statistics. One way or another, it means that the time Android users spend on Instagram is almost equal to that of the other social media giants.

Instagram Video launched in 2013.

This function enables users to upload videos on the platform, an upgrade from the old version that only allowed photos. Within the first 24 hours of its launch, the social network already garnered 5 million uploaded videos.

In 2018, Instagram ranked the 2nd most-downloaded free app in the Apple app store.

It was only second to YouTube during that time. This shows how the app continues to attract new users even 6 years after its release.

In 2019, Instagram ranked the 10th most popular Google search.

During that time, around half of the top 10 searches are generic terms such as news, weather, and videos. Featured ahead of Instagram still are other big names in the industry – Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, and Google itself. Nonetheless, it is such a big feat for Instagram considering its nature of not being primarily used through a web interface.

Instagram reigns as the most popular traditional social network among U.S. teens.

Statistics show that 72% of the said group use Instagram. In comparison, 69% use Snapchat while only 51% use Facebook.

Trends project that time spent on Instagram will increase to 28 minutes per day in 2020.

This number is a minor increase from the 27 minutes tracked in 2019. Meanwhile, hours spent on Facebook are slightly decreasing by the day. Instagram also gained more time spent per day than Snapchat for the first time in 2019.

Instagram covers 10.7% of social referral share to e-commerce sites.

While it lies way less than Facebook’s 80.4% share, Instagram gets more than the social networks.

The most popular form of Instagram video content is How-to Tutorials.

Following its lead are behind-the-scenes posts, news coverage, and interview snippets. Among the excellent examples of how-to videos on Instagram are Buzzfeed’s Tasty cooking videos.

Selfies count as the most uploaded pictures on Instagram.

Over 290 million selfies conquer the photo- and video-sharing social network platform.

There is one Instagram login screen for both new and existing accounts.

The Instagram login page is also the place to recover a lost password by tapping the Log In and Forgot? buttons. However, logging in to an existing account requires the corresponding username and password.

Instagram search can process queries for people, accounts, and hashtags.

By using the search bar, users can search for hashtags and people by their name or username. Various factors like people you follow, connections, and liked posts serve as the basis for the search results.

Instagram Stories was launched in August 2016.

Considered a game-changer for the platform, this feature enables users to share photos or videos that would only be available for 24 hours.

Instagram Stories compelled people to share more on the platform.

By 2018, 500 million Instagram accounts used the feature on a daily basis. Moreover, ⅓ of the most-viewed IG stories were published by businesses. These Instagram facts are worth noting for marketers all over the world.

The Instagram Story feature increases the daily time users spend on the app.

This is why businesses have incorporated Instagram to promote their brand. Still, the different times to post on Instagram is still worth noting.

There are available online generators for customized Instagram fonts.

These custom font styles can be applied to profile bios, captions, and comments. Not only can unique Instagram fonts make your account stand out from the crowd, but it can also serve as another aspect of your brand identity.

Instagram Messages has a character limit of 1,000 with space.

Also known as Instagram Direct Message (DM), this feature allows the exchange of messages among users in private or a group of 50 people. Only users within the app can access Instagram messages online.

Users can send 50-100 Instagram Messages per day.

There would also be an allotted 24-hour break after a user hits the limit on Instagram messages.

Instagram Dark Mode was released in October 2019.

It is a responsive feature to the iOS and Android system settings. An enabled dark mode on compatible devices will also automatically switch the interface of the updated app into a black background with white text.

Instagram Dark Mode is considered easier on the eyes of people who prefer it.

Moreover, this theme promotes prolonged battery life, given that darker pixels require less power than lighter ones. Some displays require no power from black pixels at all. Such Instagram facts might as well be the reason why Google eventually followed with the Instagram Dark Mode for the Gmail app.

You can download your Instagram photos.

Launched in 2018, the Instagram data download tool lets users download and archive their Instagram photos before they deactivate. Instagram launched this tool in response to a TechCrunch article publicly that requested a similar ‘Download Your Information’ tool like what its parent company, Facebook, offers.

To completely download Instagram photos, it might take up to a few days.

This depends on how much data the user uploaded on their account over the period of usage. This tool exports all the store content including posted photos and videos, archived stories, profile information, comments, and messages.

There is no official Instagram video downloader available on the app.

Still, users have numerous options when it comes to downloading Instagram videos. There are a lot of web-based tools online that enable users to download and sometimes even convert IG videos. Any video acquired from Instagram video downloaders can be accessed anytime even without an Internet connection.

Some users buy free Instagram followers for various reasons.

Some users try to boost their accounts by building the numbers for extended influence. These users can even go the lengths of purchasing followers and likes from the black market. There are still other superficial reasons, but an excellent goal example is by appealing to brands for affiliate marketing purposes.

These free Instagram followers are usually fake, typical bots that add no real value to the user.

Also dubbed as ‘Spambots,’ these free Instagram followers have no actual ability to ‘like’ any brand and provide real insight that can impact the business. The fact that they also have no real money to spend does not help the sales either. In fact, the demand for these free Instagram followers can take up too much space, affecting the user experience of organic users.

The best time to post on Instagram is between 9am-11am EST.

This timeframe was based on the analysis of 12 million Instagram posts. However, it is also important to note that every Instagram account has a unique following culture. Hence, the best time to post on Instagram would be a personalized best with consideration to the various followers possibly located in different time zones.

The most-liked Instagram post is an image of an egg on white background.

Instagram account Egg Gang posted the said photo in January 2019. The picture of the egg has since garnered 54,473,012 likes. Now, the @world_record_egg account uses their earned recognition as a platform to support people suffering from stress and anxiety from social media.

The first photo posted on the Instagram was from co-founder Kevin Systrom.

In July 2010, Systrom uploaded an image of a Golden Retriever pup to the app ‘Codename’ as it was named back then. The photo was taken at the Tacos Chilakos stand in Todos Santos, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. The image shows the foot of Systrom’s girlfriend alongside the unnamed dog. When the app was released to the public in October that year, it had already been renamed to ‘Instagram.’

As of December 2017, New York City, USA reigns as the most Instagrammed city.

Guinness World Records recognized how it is the most popular city on the photo-sharing app. Second on the list is Moscow, Russia followed by London, UK in third place.

The United States is the top country using Instagram.

In terms of Instagram usage, the U.S. reigns with a user count of 120 million. India follows second with 88 million users while Brazil ranks third with 82 million users.

Currently, Instagram hides like counts and video views in 7 countries.

This tweak started in April 2019 in Canada. In July 2019, 6 other countries followed: Australia, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, and Japan. According to the company, Instagram hid these numbers as a social experiment of how users associate their self-worth with the amount of likes they get.

In Canada, Instagram is the fastest-growing social media platform.

In 2018 alone, Instagram saw a 20.4% growth, followed by a 7.3% growth the following year. Trend predictions show further growth of up to 6.1% or 12.6 million users in 2020.

Instagram has the highest percentage reach in Brunei.

While the country may not have the most number of Instagram users, Brunei houses the highest population percentage reach. Out of Brunei’s total population, 60% are Instagram users, while the U.S. only has 37%.

In October 2019, Instagram crashed.

Instagram officially released a statement that apologized for technical problems keeping users from accessing apps owned by Facebook.

There are different types of Instagram models on the platform.

For one, Instagram models can book legitimate modeling work through their Instagram account. These IG models usually work as freelance models, seek casting opportunities, and contact photographers and casting companies. Moreover, Instagram models mainly work on social media proactivity and content quality as metrics for their success.

Instagram models can also be social media influencers.

Paid influencers work by promoting, posting, talking about, or sharing sponsored content. Instagram models of this type use their platform and earn appropriate payment per audience and reach. In other words, the more followers Instagram models have, the more money they make.

Instagram models earn an average of $100-$2,085 per post.

On the other hand, brands pay an average of $114-$3,138 for Instagram Videos and $43-$721 for Instagram Stories.

Cristiano Ronaldo has the most followers on Instagram.

The Portuguese professional footballer set the Guinness World Record in April 2019 with 163,658,939 followers. Ronaldo’s Instagram account has since reached at least 216 million followers. From back then until now, the official Instagram account remains to be the only account that has more followers than the soccer star.

Selena Gomez was the first person to hit 100 million followers on Instagram.

The American singer and actress set the Guinness World Record in September 2016. Even before that, Gomez already achieved the most Instagram followers during that time. When her fans became aware of how close she was to the 100m mark, they went the extra mile to get the hashtag #SelenaBreakTheInternet trending. Today, Selena’s Instagram account has over 175 million followers.

Jennifer Aniston earned the fastest time to reach 1 million followers on Instagram.

Just within 5 hours and 16 minutes, the American actress set the record in October 2019. Aniston’s Instagram account attracted around 5 million followers within the next 12 hours of her posting a selfie with her F.R.I.E.N.D.S. co-stars.

Ariana Grande used Instagram to announce her Guinness World Record for Spotify.

Grande made the record of having the fastest time for a music track to reach 100 million streams on Spotify. In November 2018, her song “thank u, next” reached the number in just 11 days. As Ariana Grande’s Instagram account is the most-followed female on the platform, it is indeed a great way to celebrate.

Violation of Community Guidelines got Belle Delphine's Instagram account deleted.

She was born Belle Kirschner in Cape Town, South Africa. Later in her life, Belle moved to London, England where she was residing at the time of the account deletion. The British Cosplay Model with 4.5 million followers gained more attention after selling her ‘Gamer Girl Bath Water’ online for a starting price of $30.

Cardi B's Instagram account paved the way for the rapper's rising fame.

Since gaining publicity in 2013, Cardi B’s Instagram account saw many of her videos going viral both on Instagram and Vine. Cardi made history when she won the award for the Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammys. However, this achievement also led to the brief deactivation of the Cardi B Instagram account when she complained about the criticism and negative comments that rained her Grammys win.

The Rock's Instagram account branded the actor as "The Multi-Platform Powerhouse."

True enough, the Instagram account of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson features a wide array of bodybuilding, business, fashion, and food. Even his cheat meal menu can be snatched on his profile.

His movies are not the only things that The Rock's Instagram advertises.

As a businessman, The Rock also uses his Instagram platform to promote his businesses Termana Tequila and Seven Bucks Productions.

Dwayne Johnson shares a lot on his Instagram for a reason.

Instead of having his fans browse through websites for news about him, Johnson says that he can simply share it himself. There is no wonder now why The Rock’s Instagram account is a colorful profile compiling the actor-businessman’s various interests, projects, and career snippets.

Kylie Jenner's Instagram account is just another money machine for the American media personality.

Reports claim that Kylie Jenner’s Instagram account charges $1.2 million for each sponsored post she publishes. In comparison, an average woman equipped with a graduate degree earns $1.69 million in her lifetime.

Kim Kardashian's Instagram account has the world’s most romantic Instagram photo.

A photo showing her and Kanye West’s first kiss as a married couple earned Kim K’s rep of having the most romantic IG photo in the world. Moreover, this particular photo on Kim Kardashian’s Instagram account became the most-liked picture of 2014, gaining over 2 million likes. Nowadays, that number is only a regular occurrence for each new post the American media personality makes.

Kim Kardashian's Instagram account has been linked to an armed robbery she experienced.

In 2016, Kim Kardashian got mugged in Paris following a real-time IG post. Since then, the now businesswoman became more wary of sharing her whereabouts on the platform. It also appears that Kylie Jenner Instagram might be posting scheduled night-out photos as a safety precaution following what transpired with her stepsister.

In July 2018, Miley Cyrus' Instagram got cleared of all posts.

She did the purging bit by bit, but some of her then 76 million followers started to notice the decreasing number of photos on her page. While the thousands of posts completely disappeared, Miley Cyrus’ Instagram account left a few Story highlight reels.

Billie Eilish's Instagram started out with the username @wherearetheavocados.

It was a joke from when she was still 10 years old. Years later, Billie Eilish still found it funny how she could not find avocados to go with the grilled cheese that she was making.

Antonio Brown's Instagram serves as a primary communication tool.

The American football player rarely gives lengths in interviews. Even on the Antonio Brown’s Instagram account, his captions barely go beyond a few words or emojis. He believes that nobody goes to the platform to read, and that simply looking and watching is how people become entertained or inspired.

The username for Drake's Instagram account is @champagnepapi.

It is an entirely different name for what he uses on Twitter, @Drake. Still, Drake’s Instagram account is no less of an account. The rapper managed to break a live stream record on the platform when Canadian rapper Torey Lanez hosted a Quarantine Radio installment on his account. When Drake made his presence known, engagement soared to 315,000 viewers, an all-time Instagram record.

Umar Johnson's Instagram account displays his advocacy for the black community.

However, the well-known African-American conservative has openly denounced matters like homosexuality and interracial marriages on his Twitter account. Umar Johnson’s Instagram account strengthens his career as a school psychologist. Among issues he directly addresses is the encouragement of African-American parents in fighting psychiatric racism in the modern school system.

Meek Mill's Instagram account serves as a music-promoting platform.

For his mixtape DC4, the American rapper posted 5 videos to preview the music. Meek Mill’s Instagram account planned to feature a remix of enemy Drake’s songs “Back to Back” and “I’m the Plug” on the platform as well. However, the commercial release of DC4 halted the inclusion of the 2 remixes.

Aside from the mixtape, Meek Mill Instagram's account also promoted extended play songs.

He released 4/4 with 4 tracks in January 2016 followed by 4/4 Pt. 2 the same month. DC4 did not reach the public until October 2016. In November 2016, Meek Mill announced through his Instagram account that the next mixtape would be Dreamchasers 4.5 – a follow up to DC4.

In September 2016, The Game allegedly dissed Meek Mill by releasing 92 Bars.

American rapper The Game later admitted to the allegations on the 5-minute freestyle. The following day, the 2 rappers ended up having a heated exchange on Instagram, with The Game cyber-flirting with Mill’s then-girlfriend, Nicki Minaj.

Within the same month, Meek Mill's Instagram encountered yet another dispute on the platform.

This time, it was with Philadelphia-based rapper Beanie Siegel whom he criticized with derogatory messages through Instagram messages. Later on, Meek Mill dissed all 3 of them in a freestyle on Funkmaster Flex’s radio show. Then, Siegel responded via his diss track entitled ‘I’m Coming.’

You can post on Instagram from your PC.

When using Chrome, the user must right click on the page then select “Inspect.” The code panel will appear on the right side of the screen and the Instagram interface would switch to the mobile view. Hence, the next steps would follow how it is usually done on mobile.

Safari browser has a slightly different take on how to post on Instagram from PC.

Select Preference, then Go to the Advanced section. At the bottom, check “Show Develop menu in the menu bar,” then open a private window on Safari. Next, select “Develop” and “User-Agent,” then select an iOS device. Perform the Instagram login procedures, then follow the same instructions as that with the Chrome browser.

You can repost an account's content on your Instagram story.

It is important to note that a user can only share another account’s content if they are public and allow resharing of their posts in their Settings. If you’re wondering how to repost on Instagram, simply tap the symbol below the desired post on the Feed, then tap Add post to your story > Send To > Share > Your Story > Done.

Viewers can see the original account from where a shared post came from.

Still, public accounts can limit such access by turning off the Settings for re-sharing posts. The user must go to their profile setting, then tap Privacy > Story. Finally,  tap the lever next to ‘Allow Resharing to Stories’ to do just that.

In June 2018, users came to know how to add music to Instagram Story.

Being able to add a soundtrack to Instagram Stories can aptly fit the moment and help users express their feelings better. On how to add music to Instagram Story, just tap to add a sticker, then look for the music icon. Tapping on it would open a song library from which users can choose.

Searching for specific songs is a bonus for how to add music to Instagram Story.

Users can also browse by mood, genre, or popularity by tapping the play button to hear a preview. Additionally, there are fast-forward and rewind options through the track for when users choose the exact part that fits their story.

More on how to add music to Instagram Story, users can select a song before capturing a video.

With the camera open, users must swipe to the new Music option under the record button. Clicking it would open the options for searching a song, selecting the desired part, then recording the video with the song playing in the background. As a result, the posted Story would also feature a sticker showing the song title and artist name.

Instagram has made the music sticker available in 51 selected countries only.

However, the ability to choose a song before capturing the video was only released for iOS at first. Instagram Music only became available to Android devices in July 2019.

Knowing how to link Facebook to Instagram is vital for businesses.

Linked accounts would give the users the option to share a post to Facebook from the same screen where they add the caption. Moreover, they can share from Instagram to a managed Facebook Page. If you want to know how to link Facebook to Instagram,  Simply go to Profile Settings, tap Linked Accounts > Facebook. From there, enter the necessary Facebook login information, and your future IG posts will automatically be shared to Facebook.

Anyone can learn how to get verified on Instagram, but not all can get the badge.

A verified badge refers to the check next to an Instagram account name. It is an indicator of Instagram’s confirmation that an account is the authentic presence of the public figure or brand it represents.

Getting verified on Instagram requires one to be a public figure.

The users must be a celebrity, a brand, or at least meet certain eligibility requirements. Instagram users can access this feature on their Profile Settings by selecting ‘Request Verification.’ From there, they must enter their full name and provide a certified form of identification.

Submission requests does not guarantee the verification of an eligible account.

The account must be authentic, unique, notable, and must have complete details. At the same time, providing false or misleading information during the verification process can lead to the removal of the verified badge. It might even instigate additional actions in deleting the account.

A minimum of 10,000 followers is required to add a link to Instagram Story.

Another prerequisite is a verified account. Once the conditions are met, the user would be able to find the link icon on the Instagram Story tool. There, they can enter or paste a link and publish it alongside the Story.

Deleted accounts cannot be reactivated anymore.

Deleting an account would mean the permanent removal of the profile, its followers, the posted photos and videos, and corresponding likes and comments. After deleting the Instagram account, the user would not be able to sign up again using the same username of the deleted ones. Meanwhile, there is an option to temporarily disable the account instead.

The user must indicate the reason for deleting the Instagram account.

An Instagram account cannot be deleted within the Instagram app. The user must go to the Delete Your Account page from a mobile browser or computer to successfully delete the Instagram account. The user would not be able to click on the permanent delete option without selecting the reason from the menu. For security reasons, the user must also re-enter the password.

As of 2018, 50% of Instagram users follow at least one business account.

This may explain why local and international businesses opted to invest on Instagram for promotions.

In 2018, 71% of U.S. businesses confirm using Instagram for business.

The same study revealed that 7 out of 10 hashtags on Instagram are branded. Also, over 80% of businesses believe that Instagram engagement is the most important metric. These are just some of the Instagram facts that prove how increasingly influential the app is becoming.

Brands can take full advantage of the app through an Instagram Business profile.

Unlike a regular profile, businesses accounts can add additional contact information with this feature. It also includes designated places for a business phone number and address.

An Instagram Business profile also grants user access to Instagram Analytics.

An essential business tool, Instagram Analytics provides data regarding impressions and reach per post alongside more information about the account’s demographic. In other words, this feature helps businesses understand the type of content that the audience likes the most.

Advertising on Instagram requires a Facebook Page.

It is also a part of creating a business page and profile. Without a Facebook Page, a user would not be able to create a Business Profile, much less run ads.

Data shows that compelling Instagram captions lead to more engagement.

It is important to note that engagement counts among the 3 key things that the Instagram algorithm considers when placing feed content in order. Hence, strategic Instagram captions are worth considering, especially for brand accounts.

Instagram captions can be as long as 2,200 characters.

This character count for Instagram captions can include emojis and up to 30 hashtags. Instagram captions succeed by adding context, showing consistent brand personality, entertaining the audience, and even compelling people to take action.

Hashtags and emojis are not the only things that must make up great Instagram captions.

It’s ideal to treat writing Instagram captions as one would any piece of web writing. Businesses on Instagram must aim to grab attention with captions that are easy to read and follow and to speak directly with the audience through the content.

2020 statistics show that an Instagram post contains 10.7 hashtags on average.

As it turns out, the motto “the more the merrier” does not apply to Instagram hashtags. Data revealed that a post with six or more hashtags attracts less engagement.

Instagram offers social media management service with an Automated DM tool.

This feature automatically sends Instagram messages to followers, especially the new ones. Some people consider that direct messaging on Instagram is a more special and comfortable way of introducing the brand or its products and services to the audience in a direct way. Hence, automated Instagram messages count among the most effective ways of engaging with the audience.

An Instagram Business Profile enables businesses to set up ads.

First, they must select an ad objective, target audience, and ad format in the Ads Manager section. Another way is by selecting a post already shared on the Instagram profile and tapping Promote. It is recommended to let the photo- and video-sharing network to automatically create an audience similar to that of the account’s existing followers.

Determining the budget is part of planning for Instagram ads.

After deciding the duration of how long to run the ads and what budget the user can spend, the content is now ready to be published. The user would receive a notification when the approved ads are ready to run.

Aside from posting, businesses can also set up Story Ads on Instagram.

This option allows clean and simple story-telling on a beautiful, creative canvas. Photos or videos on Instagram Story ads can be in square or landscape format.

Carousel ads setup is also available for Instagram.

Similar to those found on Facebook, campaigns can have another layer when people can swipe to view more photos or videos than one in a single ad space.

With an extended 120-second long duration now, videos can also be used as ads on the platform.

With the same visually immersive quality as video ads have with photo ads, they also have the additional power of sound and motion. Options are available for landscape or square format.

Ads are not limited to Instagram profile feeds.

These campaigns can also reach people currently in a discovery mindset when they extend to audiences looking to expand interests beyond the accounts they are following.

Instagram engagement can be in the form of likes, comments, or shares from a profile.

It refers to the “degree of involvement that your followers show toward your Instagram content.” As a visual content-based platform, Instagram became a social network with high engagement.

Brands on Instagram can generate over 4x more interactions than those on Facebook.

With the increase of 29% between October 2017 and May 2018, Instagram engagement equates to rising trends for brands.

Instagram models who use the #ad hashtag grew by 133% from February 2018 to February 2019.

Such Instagram facts only show that the trend of having Instagram influencers publish sponsored content on Instagram continues to grow without any signs of declining.

Instagram has a potential advertising reach of 849.3 million users.

Of this number, 14% are adults aged 13 and above. It is equivalent to 5.9% quarter-on-quarter increase in advertising reach in Q3 2019.