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1st Gen iPhone Released
The release of the first-generation iPhone revolutionized the smartphone industry. Andre Proffitt -
Twitter Launched
Twitter was launched, introducing the world to microblogging and short, real-time updates. Andre Proffitt -
Kindle Makes Waves
Amazon introduced the Kindle, a breakthrough e-reader that made it easier to access and read digital books. Andre Proffitt -
Netflix Released
Netflix introduced its streaming service, allowing subscribers to watch movies and TV shows online. Andre Proffitt -
Windows 7 Launch
Microsoft launched Windows 7, which offered a more streamlined and user-friendly operating system compared to its predecessor, Windows Vista. Andre Proffitt -
Birth of the iPad
Apple introduced the iPad, a revolutionary tablet device that changed the way we consume media and access information. Andre Proffitt -
Vine Creation
Vine was created by Dom Hofmann, Rus Yusupov, and Colin Kroll. It was a short video, 6 seconds long, hosting
service that you can post on their app, Vine Labs Ilona Kitchen -
Instagram Launched
The new app added support for direct
messages to your friends on the app, viewing/creating posts or stories and viewing live streams Ilona Kitchen -
Musical.ly Released
Musically was created in April of 2014. Musical.ly Inc. It was founded by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang in Shanghai, China. It went viral, landing in the App Store's top 40 in less than a year. Ilona Kitchen -
Discord Public Release
Discord was publicly released under the domain name discordapp.com. Discord co-founders Stan Vishnevskiy and Jason Citron. The app is more intended for viewers to
watch gaming livestreams and interact with one another. Ilona Kitchen -
TikTok
TikTok gained significant popularity and started to hit its stride between 2019 and 2024, becoming one of the fastest-growing social media platforms globally. Known for its short-form videos and creative content, TikTok quickly amassed a large user base, especially among younger audiences. It continues today to be one of the biggest platforms for the youth and also encourages businesses to get involved through Shopify Kaleb Thornton -
IGTV (Instagram TV)
While Instagram itself has been around for longer, IGTV was launched in 2018 as a standalone app for longer-form vertical videos. It was integrated into the main Instagram app to compete with the rising popularity of video content on social media. Kaleb Thornton -
Yahoo! Messenger Shut Down
In July of 2018, Yahoo! Messenger was shut down for good, and was replaced by a new service, simply titled Yahoo! Ilona Kitchen -
Musical.ly TikTok Rebrand
Musical.ly transitioned to TikTok, with still having your existing accounts and data consolidated into the app. Ilona Kitchen -
Clubhouse Gains Traction
Clubhouse is an audio-based social networking app that gained attention in 2020. It was another means for people to communicate without direct contact during this time and was very popular during lockdown. It allows users to join virtual rooms for live discussions, interviews, and conversations. Clubhouse's unique approach to social interaction garnered interest and led to the creation of similar features on other platforms. Kaleb Thornton -
Instagram Reels Released
Instagram Reels allows for 15 second videos to be introduced in a manner similar to TikTok. During the pandemic, this was Instagram’s way of battling the frenzy/phenomenon that TikTok had created around the time. Kaleb Thornton -
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LinkedIN Stories
Similar to stories on other platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, LinkedIn Stories allowed users to share temporary content with their professional network. Oftentimes, platforms try to copy the success of their counterparts to no avail, and unfortunately this was one of those times, LinkedIn stories were discontinued soon after their creation, in September of 2021. Kaleb Thornton -
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Twitter Fleets
Twitter introduced Fleets in 2020, a feature allowing users to share disappearing tweets that would be visible at the top of followers' timelines for 24 hours. This feature was Twitter's take on the ephemeral content trend popularized by other platforms. This story trend started with Snapchat and then was followed by Instagram, and Twitter was the last of the big 3 platforms to adapt it. Kaleb Thornton