Instagram adds Search to its desktop experience

Trying to find Aunt Sophie’s account, but haven’t the slightest clue her username? Famous brands and celebrities are using Instragram now to promote events or offer regular updates on their activities. Instagram, by making updates real-time, makes an interesting statement to Twitter: 140 characters has nothing on celeb pictures.

Keep in mind Instagram began rolling out a sharper, faster website to all 300 million-plus users in early June. The search functionality was originally available on Instagram mobile apps. Besides amping up search for the Web, today’s new feature will also build out the landing pages for locations and hashtags.

This is a pretty notable expansion for Instagram in growing its desktop presence, especially while other mobile-first apps like Snapchat have shown little interest in expanding their online interfaces for desktop users. Last month, its mobile app equivalent has revamped the “Search’and ‘Explore” features of the platform. The new feature primarily brought changes to the profile page of an Instagram user and showcased bigger images than before. Instagram immediately rolled out plans for their Weekend Hashtag Project, called #WHPhairplay, which requests users submit facial hair shots and funky hairdos. But the company (owned by Facebook since 2012) has been painfully slow about bringing its distinctive experience to the world wide web. Either way, it’s here now, and Instagram will be all the more useful for it.