Instagram Updates Search, Editing, and Discovery Features

Thanks to feedback from its users, Instagram has finally released a new set of updates that give users more control and editing abilities over the content they share and discover on the site, including the long-awaited ability to edit photo captions.

Exploring Photos and People

Instagram has improved the way users can browse the app to find other users they may want to follow. The explore icon (magnifying glass) found at the bottom of the screen allows users to see two tabs: photos and people. While the photos column has always been there, allowing users to scroll through a grid of photos, users can now see a people tab that suggests who users may want to follow, based on several factors such as who the user follows, who they’re connected to, and what photos they like.

Another improvement to note is that Instagram has made the app much more instantaneous by adding typeahead search functionality. The search feature will now let users find photos much faster by auto-populating results when users begin typing in letters.

Editing Photo Captions

Mentioned as “one of the top requests that we’ve heard from the community,” Instagram has finally made editing a photo caption possible. To change a caption, users can now locate an “Edit” option in the menu underneath the image. Users can tap, tweak, and confirm changes. It’s important to note that all edited images will have “Edited” above the modified captions. However, this will only appear when a user clicks to see the comments for the post. As Instagram explains in their official announcement, “When you share a moment on Instagram, a typo shouldn’t get in the way.”

Both individuals and brands can benefit from the new upgrade. As marketers, which update do you find most useful? Are there any updates that will affect your strategy?