Do you find yourself searching for the same Instagram hashtag over and over? If so, the social network is about to make your life a whole lot easier.
The Facebook-owned app is reportedly testing a feature that lets you follow hashtags, not just profiles. It looks like the unannounced feature only shows the top and most recent posts for each hashtag you follow, which should be enough to keep you on top of the hottest posts without flooding your timeline.
The feature was first spotted by Pippa Akram, or @Social_pip, who posted a screenshot of it to Twitter, the Next Web reports.
Ok this is new. What does this do @SimonSocialMM @BizPaul @NatalieTFG any ideas? I’ve followed 2 but can’t find what that means!! pic.twitter.com/LlCBk4Wmfv
— Pippa Akram (@Social_Pip) November 9, 2017
Instagram currently only lets you only follow people. If you want to stay on top of a trending topic—#eclipse, for example—you have to manually search for the hashtag or find it tagged to a post on your Explore page. Other social networks, like Twitter and Facebook, include a handy “trending topics” section.
It’s not clear how many people can use the feature or whether Instagram has a wider rollout planned. It seems like a smart addition to the app, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it gets officially announced in the coming months.
We’ve reached out to Instagram to learn more and will update this article if we hear back.
Need more Instagram help? Here’s how to clear your search history on Instagram and how to tell if someone blocked you on Instagram. You can also disconnect Facebook from Instagram or unblock someone. For more tips, see our ultimate beginner’s guide to Instagram.
