The social media platform founded in 2010 and known for photo sharing is Instagram. It was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, initially as a smaller photo-focused project spun out of Burbn, a broader mobile check-in application.
Systrom and Krieger recognized that photo sharing was the most appealing part of Burbn and redesigned the service around taking, editing, and posting pictures. They renamed it Instagram, combining the ideas of an instant camera and a telegram. The first public version launched for Apple's iPhone on 6 October 2010, followed by the stable release on 12 October.
Instagram became known for square photos, filters, hashtags, likes, and follower feeds. It later expanded to video, Stories, direct messaging, Reels, and web access. Facebook, now part of Meta Platforms, acquired Instagram in 2012 for approximately $1 billion in cash and stock.
A common mix-up is dating Instagram's founding to its acquisition. Facebook did not create the platform; Instagram had already launched and attracted millions of users before the purchase.