Another week, another batch of new Instagram features. Now the Facebook-owned social media announced two new tools that will allow users to find out what’s going on around them. Enter the new Location and Hashtag Stories which will soon be live under the Explore section.
Now when you access the Explore tab, you should be able to spot a new Story ring at the top showcasing the things that are happening near you aka posts created by people who used location stickers. Users can also search for a certain location in the world and find out what’s going on in that’s spot by checking the Story ring. The new feature will prove extremely useful for frequent travelers who find themselves in a different location each week and looking for something cool to do.
The second feature, Hashtag Stories allow Instagram users to easily find Stories that are related to their interests. Now when you search for a particular hashtag, the Story ring should appear at the top of the page filled with Stories that include that particular hashtag. In order to create posts that will show in Story, you’ll need to include location hashtags with your Stories.
For those who are interested in privacy and don’t want their Story to appear in the Explore, all you need to do is tap the X in the Stories viewer list.
Location Stories in Explore is currently rolling out to all users through Instagram version 10.22 which is available via the Google Play Store (and iTunes App Store for that matter). As for Hashtag Stories, it will be landing in the upcoming weeks.
