Instagram’s website is still not as full-featured as the app as the Explore tab and the ability to post photos still only live in the app. But by adding search, the company is making it much easier to find posts.
Instagram now makes it much easier to search for specific accounts, hashtags and locations.
The update marks the first time the company has added search features to it website. Like the in-app search, Instagram’s web-based browsing allows you to search for posts based on hashtags, location or from specific accounts. Searching for hashtags from the search bar will also give you a quick overview of how many times that particular hashtag has been used.
On posts that users see on the web — either on Instagram.com or embedded on other sites — links to hashtags and location geotags will redirect to a page that shows the top posts for those tags, based on the number of likes.
The company says the update is meant to both bring Instagram’s website more in line with its app and make it easier for those who see Instagram posts on the web to discover and browse photos.