Instagram has announced that its monthly active user base has reached 3 billion, according to a statement from Mark Zuckerberg. The social network had previously hit the milestone of 1 billion active users in 2018.
According to data obtained by CNBC in 2021, Instagram surpassed 2 billion monthly active users. However, the company had not publicly disclosed audience figures during that period.
It remains unclear whether the 3 billion figure includes users of Threads. Launched in 2023 as an alternative to X (formerly Twitter), Threads requires an Instagram account for registration. In a report released in August 2025, Zuckerberg revealed that Threads had 400 million monthly active users.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri noted that “almost all” of the platform’s growth in recent years has come from private messaging, Reels, and recommendations. For this reason, the social network plans to continue focusing on these areas. For instance, in the coming months, a feature allowing users to customize the recommendation algorithm for Reels is expected to be tested.
Meta (then Facebook) acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion. In spring 2025, a U.S. court filed a lawsuit against the company for acquiring potential competitors. Regulators are seeking either a corporate restructuring or the divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp.
