Instagram Might Delete the Recent Tab

Meta-owned social media platform Instagram has announced the launch of a pilot program that will exclude the Recent tab from what hashtag search offers you. This is said to be just part of another Insta update that’s in progress right now. Mashable claims that the giant views this redesign as a way of making hashtags more engaging as well as more useful in terms of helping users find potentially interesting information. The most recent posts and Reels will be presented as part of the main display rather than in hashtag search results.

Mashable’s report quotes a statement by Meta received specifically for that publication. It emphasizes the experimental nature of the innovation and the focus on making hashtags as useful as possible. The new program is to be tested by a limited group of users while the rest will still have the old design. If you are one of those chosen for testing, you’ll notice that the most recent posts appear under Top and Reels. The dedicated Recent tab will be gone when you search for something using a hashtag. According to Instagram, this is a way of keeping users up to date while also providing them with the most relevant and useful information.

As a side effect, this might undermine growth hackers’ success when it comes to identifying and exploiting current trends. There’s also an opinion that this is the actual purpose of the undertaking. Combined with a recent bonus program for creators and other major changes to how Instagram interacts with its users, this is likely to change the general experience you get with the app. Do you feel like it’s going to be a change for the better or the opposite? Share your ideas and concerns about the direction in which Instagram appears to be moving in the comments section.