Here are the Changes Coming to Your Instagram 'Explore' Page

Instagram’s ‘Explore’ page is getting updated to improve usability. This was one of the announcements recently made at the Facebook F8 Developer Conference. Millions of people, worldwide, use social media networks and Instagram is no exception. Instagram is a popular photo sharing application. It has various users including public figures, businesses of all sizes, and influencers. Millions of people use Instagram’s ‘Explore’ page to find the content they like. So it is no surprise that one of Facebook’s focuses is on development and changes to improve the Instagram application.

The current changes are designed to make the user experience better and more organized. Making it easier to find the content you are looking for. There are also added filters to protect the community from unpleasant language and harassment.

So what are the changes involved and how will they affect your ‘Explore’ page and how you use Instagram?

Here are the changes announced by Facebook at the F8 Developer Conference.

Organized Suggestions into Topical Channels

When searching for new content ideas on Instagram, in the past, you could scroll down the suggestions on your ‘Explore’ page. The content suggestions would be grouped based on themes you like, however, they were in no particular order. In the new version, the Explore page has a different layout. A list of categories is displayed at the top of the page in a horizontal row of buttons. You can easily scroll through this list to pick the topic you are interested in. This new organization feature makes exploring different topics much easier and faster.

The new categorization method helps you discover accounts on topics that matter to you at the moment... For example, you may love dogs, but be in the mood for workout pictures. Having the different categories listed in one place at the top of the page makes it simple and quick to choose the type of content you want to see. Selecting a topic button will automatically show the related content in your ‘Explore’ page.

Hashtag Suggestions for Each Channel Topic

In 2017, Instagram launched a feature enabling people to follow hashtags. Since then this has become a popular way for people to use Instagram and follow the type of content they are interested in. It is estimated that now more than 100 million people all over the world follow hashtags.

The problem is that for each individual subject, there can be lots of different hashtags. For example, if you are interested in Dogs, hashtags include: #dogs, #pupper, #dogsofinstagram, and many more. In the updated ‘Explore’ page, you can browse categories and when you select one of the buttons a list of related hashtags is also shown. This makes it easier for people to find, and follow, more content they like. It is also a useful feature to give you ideas for hashtags that could be appropriate to use with your own content.

Artificial Intelligence Curates the Content

Artificial intelligence technology is implemented to help make the experience more personalized for each user. It uses a combination of this new categorization filter and curated signals from the Instagram community to organize your ‘Explore’ page.

By using this technology, the 'Explore' section of your account will continue to become more and more customized to your browsing tastes, showing the things Instagram deduces you want to see. This provides more content for you to view, which has been specifically tailored to your interests. With the added categorization on the ‘Explore’ page, you can also easily switch between and search different themes depending on what you want at the time.

The New 'Bullying' Filter Will Mitigate Harassment

One of the main goals of Instagram has always been to be an inclusive, supportive environment for all to express themselves. Unfortunately, people are not always nice when discovering new accounts. With so many users and public figures having accounts, there is potential for harassment. Now, the 'bullying filter' will hide any unpleasant or upsetting language.

The new ‘bullying filter’ is the next step in guarding against harassment or bullying type messages. This type of language can be upsetting and have negative impacts on the individual person and the community.  

In 2017 the ‘offensive comment filter’ was launched to help identify and guard against toxic language and harassment within the Instagram community. This filter automatically hides divisive and upsetting comments. Now the ‘bullying filter’ goes further, also hiding comments that attack the appearance or character of a person or threaten their well being. The new filter can identify and highlight repeated problems so that action can then be taken to resolve them. The ‘bullying filter’ is now live globally, it can be turned off in the ‘Comment Controls’ section of the app.

The new version of Instagram’s ‘Explore’ page will be going live in the next few weeks. The changes are expected to make the user experience better and more personalized. Developments include using artificial intelligence to improve the usability of the ‘Explore’ page and tailor the suggested themes and content to each user. Content displays designed to appeal to your individual interests, and simpler access to different categories, including lists of related hashtags, can make finding engaging content a breeze.

Upgrades also include a new ‘bullying filter’ in keeping with the company goals to create a safe place for self-expression and foster kindness within the community. With a global community of millions of people, there is, unfortunately, the potential for unpleasant comments to cause upset. The new ‘bullying filter’ works to hide any toxic language and alert the company to any repeat problems so they can be resolved. This will help continue to create a safe, supportive online community cultivating freedom of expression.

The ‘bullying filter’ is now in effect globally and soon you will also be able to take advantage of the upgraded ‘Explore’ page features.