The addition of Instagram to Android caused the service to add a million new users in just a half a day.
Within its first 12 hours of being made available through the Android app marketplace, the app was downloaded a million times, proving that the company was incredibly smart for bringing what was an iPhone-exclusive platform to Google’s mobile OS.
Instagram is a photo sharing app that gained massive popularity on the iPhone because of its intuitive user interface, seamless integration with the iPhone’s camera, and the speed at which it uploads content.
For many, it become the de facto way to share pictures with fellow iPhone users. And as to be expected, there was a bit of backlash when Instagram said it would be moving to Android as well.
Part of the app’s appeal was its exclusivity. For some, it felt like if Blackberry Messenger somehow made its way to the iPhone.
But Instagram is a free agent and can make apps for whatever platform it wants. And the vast majority of users don’t care one way or the other. In fact, to many others, it is a move that’s welcomed and embraced because it allows their reach to be greatly expanded.
Instagram has been downloaded more than 30 million times on the App Store, and Apple named it the best iPhone app of 2011. The company was recently valued at $500 million.
So you can just imagine how much bigger it could potentially grow now that it has effectively doubled its reach.
