How to Search Instagram
Open the Instagram app on your mobile device (or go to Instagram.com) and sign in to start using Instagram search.
Search for Users on Instagram
In addition to searching for posts with specific tags, you can use Instagram search to find user accounts to follow. Enter the username or first name of a user. Like the tag search, Instagram provides a list of top suggestions as you type. On Instagram.com, the Instagram search field is at the top of your home feed as soon as you sign in. To search for a tag, search for it with or without the hashtag symbol (such as #photooftheday or photooftheday). After typing your tag search term, either choose the result you were looking for from the automatic list of top suggestions or tap the Tags tab to filter the results that aren’t tags. Instagram.com doesn’t have the same four search result tabs that the app has, making it harder to filter results. When you type a tag search term, a list of suggested results appears in a drop-down list. Some of these results are tags (marked by the hashtag—#—symbol) and others are user accounts (marked by their profile photos). A selection of top posts, which are posts with the most likes and comments, displays in the default tab on the app and at the top on Instagram.com. Switch to the Recent tab on the app to see the recent posts for that tag in the app or scroll past the first nine posts on Instagram.com.
How Does Instagram Rank Search Results?
For users in Instagram search, the most relevant and popular users display at the top, along with their username, full name (if provided), and profile photo. Instagram determines the most relevant user search results by matching the username or full name accuracy and your social graph data. You might get results based on your search history, mutual followers based on who you follow and who follows you, and your Facebook friends if your Facebook account is connected to Instagram. The number of followers may also play a role in how users show up in search, making it easier to find popular brands and celebrities.
Bonus: Search for Posts from Places
Instagram also lets you search for posts that were tagged at specific locations. All you do is type the location into the search field and tap the Places tab in the app or, when using Instagram.com, look for results in the drop-down list that have a location pin icon next to them. For ideas on what kinds of things to search for on Instagram, look up some popular Instagram hashtags, or find out how to get your photo or video featured on the Explore tab (also known as the Popular page).
