Social media platform Instagram has hit 3 billion monthly users globally, its parent Meta announced on Tuesday. This cements the app’s status as one of the most popular social media platforms ever.
To sustain its growth momentum, Meta said it is putting greater focus on short-form video and private messaging. The company announced that it is redesigning its home screen to make Reels and messaging more prominent.
Reels and messaging
For India, Instagram is testing the app to open directly into Reels instead of the regular feed, highlighting the country’s importance in driving engagement. Users may also soon control their content algorithm more directly by choosing or hiding topics, marking a shift from the classic photo-feed experience.
India at the core
Meta acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, but since then, the app has grown into the company’s biggest revenue driver and one of its strongest play against rivals such as TikTok, Snap and Elon Musk’s X. The app is also experimenting with design changes beyond smartphones, having recently launched an iPad version that opens directly into Reels as well.
The broader strategy signals how Instagram is reshaping itself around the features most popular with its vast user base, say experts, with short-form videos and private interactions.
While it first gained fame as a photo-sharing platform for life updates, that kind of posting has steadily declined over the years, they say. Today, Reels dominates the app’s engagement patterns, positioning Instagram as both an entertainment hub and a private messaging network, rather than just a digital photo album.