So, here’s an idea. In the beginning of August, TechCrunch and others reported that Instagram had reached 150 million hosted photos. They actually even posted the 150 millionth photo that was taken by the user “janefot”. There is no way from the URL of each photo to determine what number it has. But one intersting thing happens when you check each URL using the site Inkstagram.
The 150 millionth photo actually has the following unique web address on Inkstagram: http://inkstagram.com/#/photos/150000003 (Update: Inkstagram is now ink361.com so the correct URL is now http://ink361.com/#/photos/150000003 ) Sounds like that number would be pretty accurate to the confirmed numbers by Instagram, right?
So when I look at my recently uploaded photos, I see that we today have passed 200 million photos, if these numbers are correct.
That would also mean that the 200 millionth photo is the one below, by user “tomvandenbogaerde”. According to the Inkstagram site, it was uploaded today, three hours ago.
http://inkstagram.com/#/photos/200000000 (new URL: http://ink361.com/#/photos/200000000 )
What do you think? Can this be true?
Update: A fact that would support my theory above is that the photo with the serial number #2 on Inkstagram, is this one by Instagram founder Kevin Systrom, who in a comment confirms that this is the first photo ever on Instagram: http://inkstagram.com/#/photos/2. (new URL: http://ink361.com/#/photos/2 ) Number 1 seems to be missing, but still, it seems that Inkstagram have been able to track all photos and number them in sequence as they were published.
And as is mentioned in the comments below, it may be that we should count photo number 200,000,003 as the 200 millionth. That photo however seems to be private, or at least we are not able to view it: http://inkstagram.com/#/photos/200000003
