At Last, You Can Search Instagram On The Web

Now, Instagram has added the Search tool to Instagram for web via which users can now browse accounts, search for hashtags, locations, and user accounts right from the desktop. This update separates Instagram from other mobile-first apps such as Snapchat that have skipped the desktop aspect altogether.

Clicking a matching hashtag or geotag takes you to a landing page showing search results segregated by top posts and recent entries. “While Instagram.com is designed to be complementary to the mobile app, it’s important to the global conversations that happen on Instagram”. The social network also ditched square-shaped profile photos in favour of more rounded ones, and it now emphasises larger images overall.

Discovery has never been Instagram’s strong suit, but these changes went a long way toward fixing that.

In 2013, Instagram moved from an app-only platform to a full-feed experience for web users. The location pages are slick, featuring a map and posts that occurred in a specific location.

It’s been about three years since Instagram first launched on the Web, but its Instagram.com site has always been fairly simplistic.

That de facto square crop is today synonymous with all things Instagram. Just last week, Instagram hired former Lucky magazine editor Eva Chen to strengthen its ties with the fashion industry and attract more high-quality content that brands can advertise against.