In what month and year did Instagram Stories launch?

Instagram Stories launched in August 2016. The feature let users post photos and videos that disappeared after 24 hours, creating a more casual and temporary way to share moments than the permanent Instagram feed.

Instagram announced Stories on August 2, 2016, and the feature began rolling out internationally shortly afterward. Stories appeared in a separate row above the main feed, where followers could tap through a sequence of posts. Users could add text, drawings, stickers, and other effects, making the format feel more spontaneous than a carefully edited profile post.

The launch drew immediate comparisons with Snapchat, whose disappearing “Stories” format had become popular in 2013. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom acknowledged the similarity and credited Snapchat for the underlying idea, while arguing that Instagram’s version would serve its existing photo-sharing community. Stories quickly became a major part of Instagram: by October 2016, they had reached 100 million active users, only two months after launch. Later additions included Story Highlights, which preserve selected Stories on a profile instead of letting them disappear.