Instagram crosses 3bn monthly users, strengthens focus on reels and DMs

Meta’s photo and video-sharing platform Instagram has achieved a significant milestone, crossing 3 billion monthly active users, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram Head Adam Mosseri. This positions Instagram alongside Facebook and WhatsApp, which also boast over 3 billion users each, reinforcing Meta’s dominance in the global social media landscape.

“Instagram has grown to 3 billion monthly active users. What an incredible community we've built here. Thank you for being a part of it!,” Zuckerberg wrote on his Instagram channel. The company last disclosed Instagram’s user base in 2022, when it surpassed 2 billion users.

Mosseri credited the platform’s momentum to three key drivers: “If you look at the last few years, almost all of our growth has been driven by DMs, Reels, and recommendations. Because of that, we’re going to continue to focus on those products and reorient the app more around DMs, Reels, and recommendations over the next couple of months.”

The emphasis on algorithm-driven recommendations and Reels has fueled engagement, but it has also drawn criticism from users who prefer traditional photo-sharing and content from people they already follow. To address this, Instagram plans to introduce new tools allowing users to refine their content recommendations. Early tests suggest users will be able to toggle off specific topics, offering more control over what appears in their feed.

In addition, Instagram is redesigning its navigation bar, placing greater prominence on DMs, underscoring the platform’s pivot toward private interactions. In response to customer requests, the firm just released an Instagram app for iPad that is optimized for Reels, Stories, and chatting on larger screens.

Acquired for $1 billion in 2012, Instagram has evolved far beyond its origins as a photo-sharing app, now accounting for a major share of Meta’s advertising revenue. With 3 billion monthly active users, it remains a critical growth engine for Meta amid intensifying competition from TikTok and YouTube Shorts.