Instagram search is getting better and better — though the experience is still very different for different people.
Photographer Anthony Quintano tweeted that searching for someone in Instagram's People search tab on your phone should now instantly show you the users you follow, and vice versa.
In addition, there is other information there: For users with very high followings, you will also see a number of followers. Other users will see which of their friends are following them. Instagram will even show users who have recently posted a new photo.
But this is where things get complicated. From an iPhone, you see this additional information, but Instagram does not show who is following you. And in the Instagram app on Android (see comparison below), you just get a simple list of names, without any additional information.
It’s hard to say how long these search features have been in the game, but it seems Instagram is currently testing various changes for different subsets of users. Instagram responded to a question, and while a company spokesperson confirmed these features are being tested, they didn’t have much else to share just yet. While it’s far from revolutionary, the new features make the app’s search function a lot more engaging. Perhaps Facebook – Instagram’s owner – has finally decided to work its magic by observing Instagram users’ personal relationships !
