Claim: Instagram started supporting 15-second videos in 2013.

Instagram is a mobile , desktop , and internet-based photo-sharing application and service that allows users to share pictures and videos either publicly or privately . It was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger , and launched in October 2010 as a free mobile app exclusively for the iOS operating system . A version for Android devices was released two years later , in April 2012 , followed by a feature-limited website interface in November 2012 , and apps for Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 in April 2016 and October 2016 respectively .   Instagram lets registered users upload photos or videos to the service . Users can apply various digital filters to their images , and add locations through geotags . They can add hashtags to their posts , linking the photos up to other content on Instagram featuring the same subject or overall topic . Users can connect their Instagram account to other social media profiles , enabling them to share photos to those profiles as well . Originally , a distinctive feature of Instagram was its confining of photos to a square ; this was changed in August 2015 , when an update started allowing users to upload media at full size . In June 2012 , an `` Explore '' tab was introduced in the mobile apps , showing users a variety of media , including -LRB- but not limited to -RRB- popular photos and photos taken at nearby locations , trending tags and places , channels for recommended videos , and curated content . Support for videos was originally launched in June 2013 , and had a 15-second maximum duration and limited quality , with Instagram later adding support for widescreen and longer videos . Private messaging , called Instagram Direct , was launched with basic photo-sharing functionality in December 2013 , and has gradually received major updates incorporating more features . Updates include easier private sharing from the news feed , threaded conversations , sharing locations and hashtag pages , increased support for text and emoji , and the ability to make photos `` disappear '' after being viewed by the recipient . In August 2016 , Instagram introduced a `` Stories '' feature , letting users add photos to a story , with the content disappearing after 24 hours . Instagram added live-video functionality to Stories in November 2016 , augmented reality stickers in April 2017 , and face filters in May 2017 .   After its launch in 2010 , Instagram rapidly gained popularity , with one million registered users in two months , 10 million in a year , and ultimately 700 million as of April 2017 . Its users have uploaded over 40 billion photos to the service as of October 2015 . , the Instagram Stories functionality has over 200 million active users , while Instagram Direct has 375 million active users . Instagram was acquired by Facebook in April 2012 for approximately US$ 1 billion in cash and stock . The popularity of Instagram has sparked an engaging community , including dedicated `` trends '' , in which users post specific types of photos on specific days of the week with a hashtag representing a common theme . Instagram has received positive reviews for its iOS app , and it has been named `` one of the most influential social networks in the world '' . However , the company has been the subject of criticism on several issues , most notably incidents of drug sales on the platform , allegations of censorship towards women , and a May 2017 survey in the United Kingdom concluding that the service was bad for young mental health .