Facebook-owned Instagram is foraying into a new sphere as it has added search functionality. Now users will be able to search profiles, hashtags or locations on Instagram.com thanks to the newly added search functionality for the web.
Starting today, you can search people, places and hashtags on web. pic.twitter.com/kadwSZd8xt
— Instagram (@instagram) July 20, 2015
So now you can espy a search bar when you log in to the Instagram home page. Simply deploy the search bar to seek out other profiles as the drop-down menu will list the options of eking out users, locations or hashtags.
Moreover, these hashtags and locations have their respective hub pages where one can see a three-column thumbnail view. The landing page for geotags and hashtags also reveal the number of images which matches the term a user is seeking out.
So why the sudden introduction of the search functionality you wonder? Instagram's growing popularity is seeing a surge in web embeds of its content (accounting for nearly 5.3 million impressions), even though it started out as a mobile-first application. Therefore, it is important that Instagram develops a positive experience for desktop users as the content becomes pertinent in driving traffic to the site.
With this growing trend, bringing search functionality to desktop has become imperative for Instagram.
"While Instagram.com is designed to be complementary to the mobile apps, it's important to the global conversations that happen on Instagram," revealed an Instagram spokesperson.
Moreover, it is a step in the right direction as Instagram looks to expand its desktop presence and perseveres to improve "discovery" across its platforms.
"Web search is part of a broader commitment to improving discovery across our platforms," said an Instagram spokesperson to Forbes. "With 70 million photos shared to Instagram each day, if something is happening in the world, it's likely being captured on Instagram."
The effort by Instagram to make its service more relevant is undoubtedly a feather in its cap as it makes it leaps ahead of rivals who have so far neglected expanding the desktop interface.
With Instagram introducing the web search functionality, third-party services such as FindGram and Websta could soon be rendered useless.
