How many monthly active users did Instagram report in December 2014?

Instagram reported 300 million monthly active users in December 2014.

The milestone was announced on December 10, 2014, roughly four years after Instagram launched. It marked a rapid expansion from 200 million monthly active users in March 2014 and put Instagram ahead of Twitter’s then-reported 284 million monthly active users. The figures referred to people using the service during a month, not the number of accounts created or photos uploaded.

Instagram’s growth was helped by its simple mobile-first format, filters, and easy photo sharing, followed by expansion beyond its original iPhone audience. The Android version launched in April 2012, shortly before Facebook’s acquisition, and international users made up a large majority of the community by the end of 2014.

The December announcement also accompanied the introduction of verified badges for notable celebrities, athletes, and brands, plus plans to remove spam accounts. Later milestones included 400 million users in September 2015 and 500 million in June 2016, so those larger numbers should not be projected backward onto 2014.