Instagram is making big moves to improve how users discover content, as it sets its sights on becoming more than just a social app. With Gen Z increasingly turning to platforms like TikTok instead of Google to search for information, Instagram knows it has work to do if it wants to stay competitive.
Speaking recently on the “Build Your Tribe” podcast, Instagram head Adam Mosseri admitted that the platform’s current search experience hasn’t lived up to its potential. He pointed out that while users can easily search for accounts, the ability to find actual content is still lacking. That’s a problem, especially as younger audiences rely more on social media to look up recommendations, tutorials, and other answers.
To fix this, Instagram is now investing in its search team and building better tools to help users uncover the content they care about. Mosseri acknowledged that the group handling Instagram’s search was once small, but Meta has since expanded it with the goal of rolling out steady improvements over the coming months and years.
He also noted that people should be able to find the kind of content they want without digging through endless posts. Whether it’s a recipe, a trend, or a how-to video, Instagram wants to make that content easier to track down. At the same time, the platform is also looking to give creators more long-term value by allowing their posts to stay discoverable, well beyond the first 24 to 48 hours after they go live.
Related Post
The urgency for better search tools stems from a shift that’s been building for a while. In 2022, a Google executive warned that younger users were using TikTok and Instagram in place of traditional search engines. That trend has only accelerated. TikTok has even taken things further by letting advertisers target its search results, directly challenging Google’s stronghold on the ad space.
Several research reports back up this shift in behavior. According to a Bernstein Research study cited by Fortune in April 2024, 45 percent of Gen Z users are more likely to search using social apps than Google. Another survey by HerCampus, shared by eMarketer, found that 51 percent of Gen Z prefers TikTok’s search functions, mainly because of its fast, visual, and engaging content.
While Instagram is clearly in the race, it hasn’t yet claimed the top spot. That’s why the company is focusing on creating smarter features that bring search results closer to what users want. One upcoming improvement involves enhancing how Instagram surfaces search suggestions by analyzing what people are discussing in the comments.
On TikTok, users often see suggested searches at the top of the comments section, pulled from popular conversations. Instagram wants to bring a similar approach to its own platform. Mosseri explained that a lot of valuable context lives in the comments, not just in the post itself, and Instagram plans to help users explore that content more easily.
He mentioned that this update is on the way soon, and it could play a major role in how users engage with Instagram as a discovery tool.
Mosseri also touched on the fact that only a small number of users post to their main feed daily. The feed has become more of a public space, while most friend-to-friend interactions happen through Stories and direct messages. That shift adds more pressure for Instagram to reinvent the way people find and interact with content.
If Instagram can pull off these changes, it may finally position itself not just as a platform for sharing, but as a powerful search engine in its own right.
