Instagram enables following hashtags

Photo service Instagram makes it possible to follow hashtags in addition to people. Users will then see “top posts” with that hashtag in their feed of photos, in addition to photos of contacts they’ve already followed.

Following a hashtag works by opening that hashtag’s page and clicking “follow,” Instagram says. It is also possible to see in the profile which hashtags people follow, in order to quickly find relevant hashtags.

It is unknown how Instagram determines what are “top posts” that followers of hashtags see in their feed. This is probably based on the number of views or interactions of such a post. The move should make it easier to find relevant posts on the social network, the photo service says. It’s the first in a series of steps to help users better discover things on Instagram. What steps come next, the Facebook daughter keeps to herself.