Instagram reaches 3 billion monthly users & introduces app updates

Instagram has reached 3 billion monthly users, becoming the third Meta-owned platform to achieve the milestone after Facebook and WhatsApp. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri made the announcement.

The figure means more than a third of the global population now uses the platform monthly. The platform, along with Meta’s other apps, remains unavailable in China, and many regions still lack internet access.

Mosseri, in a video posted on his Instagram, noted, “Messaging, reels, and recommendations have driven most of our recent growth.”

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A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

To mark this, the platform has introduced new updates. It is expected to test a feature that allows users to manage the topics shown in Reels. By tapping an adjustment icon, users can add or remove topics of interest and exclude unwanted ones. Reels will then highlight preferred topics with new tags.

Mosseri, further introducing the updates, said, “We’ll soon start testing a way for you to tune your algorithm by adding and removing topics based on your interests, starting with reels.”

Another update involves changes to the app’s interface. The direct message (DM) button will move from the top of the screen to the bottom navigation bar, alongside the Home and Reels icons. The create button will shift to the top left corner, while the search icon will move slightly to the right.

Both updates are expected to make navigation easier and give users more control over their Reels experience.