Instagram said Wednesday it now has more than one billion active users , as it unveiled a new long - form video feature in a bid to attract “ creators ” like those on YouTube.
It becomes the fourth Facebook platform to hit the billion- user mark , including the namesake social network with more than two billion users , and the messaging applications WhatsApp and Messenger .
Instagram, which had some 800 million users as of September , has been outpacing rival social networks such as Twitter and Snapchat and has been gaining younger users even as Facebook itself has seen declines in the youth segment .
Instagram chief executive Kevin Systrom announced the milestone as he unveiled the new video application known as IGTV .
“ We have now a community of one billion users ,” Systrom told the event in San Francisco .
“ Since our launch in 2010 , we’ve watched with amazement as the community has flourished and grown . ”
As Facebook itself has moved deeper into video , Instagram will become a direct competitor to YouTube with IGTV .
IGTV will enable any user to upload long -form videos and will also include “ channels” from video “creators , ” similar to a format employed by Google- owned YouTube which has given rise to a number of YouTube “ stars . ”
“ Anyone can be a creator — you can upload your own IGTV videos in the app or on the web to start your own channel ,” Systrom said .
– Built for smartphones –
Systrom said IGTV is built to be used on a smartphone , and boosts the time for videos from the previous limit of one minute .
“ The way we are watching video is changing , ” Systrom told the event.
He added that IGTV is “ built for how you actually use your phone , so videos are full screen and vertical. ”
The launch comes amid a shift in video viewing habits away from traditional television to online platforms including Netflix and Hulu , and with more people watching both professional and user content on services like YouTube.
According to the research firm eMarketer , 181 . 7 million Americans will watch video content on their smartphones at least once a month this year , up 6 . 1 percent from a year ago.
Product manager Ashley Yuki told the event that IGTV “ is an open platform from day one , so everyone can become a creator . ”
Rolling out for the iOS and Android apps, IGTV will allow any user to upload videos up to 10 minutes long , with the limit for larger accounts at one hour .
Systrom described the new app as “a separate space , a dedicated space to enjoy video without being distracted . ”
Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for a combination of cash and stock worth some $ 1 billion at the time .
Since then it has become a strong engineer of growth for Facebook in terms of users and ad revenues .
While Facebook offers no detailed revenue breakdown , eMarketer estimates Instagram will generate $ 5 . 48 billion in net US ad revenue this year , up 70 . 4 percent from last year and accounting for more than one -fourth of Facebook’ s net mobile ad revenue .
Facebook itself is also ramping up its video offerings with original shows and this week announced new formats including interactive game shows, quizzes and polls.
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