The founders are Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. 

Systrom, chief executive, said they have decided to make the move to explore 'curiosity and creativity' again. 

Social media giant Facebook had bought Instagram in 2012.

Today, Instagram is also a popular photo-sharing app with several top celebrities across the world using it regularly.

In his statement, Systrom said: "We’re planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again. Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; that’s what we plan to do."

He said: "We remain excited for the future of Instagram and Facebook in the coming years as we transition from leaders to two users in a billion. We look forward to watching what these innovative and extraordinary companies do next."

In a tweet, Mike Krieger said: "Over 8 years ago, Kevin and I started Instagram, hoping to build something that would bring out people’s creativity and spirit for exploration. Now it’s time for the next chapter. A huge thank you to everyone in the community who we’ve met along the way."

Instagram was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and launched in October 2010 exclusively on iOS. A version for Android devices was released a year and 6 months later, in April 2012, followed by a feature-limited website interface in November 2012, and apps for Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 in April 2016 and October 2016 respectively.