Instagram has rolled out yet another feature that is similar to Snapchat. The Facebook owned photo and video sharing app has launched location stories and hashtag stories. This will allow users to search for a location or hashtag in the Explore tab.
A new story ring will be added at the top of Explore filled with stories happening near you. For example, I live in Bangalore, so I will automatically see stories from this city. These stories come from people who have used location stickers on their stories. You can also search for any location around the world as you will see a story ring for that place at the top of the location page.
If you add a location sticker or hashtag to your story there are chances you may be included in the larger story. If your story is added you will see a line at the top of your stories viewer list showing how many people saw it in the larger story. If you want to use a location or hashtag sticker but don’t want your story to appear on Explore, tap the X on your stories viewer list. Meanwhile, hashtag stories on Explore will help you find stories related to your interests. When you search for a hashtag, you may see a story ring at the top of the page filled with stories using that hashtag.
Last week, Instagram launched face filters that allows users to add different filters on their face. Location stories on Explore are available on iOS and Android as part of Instagram version 10.22 in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Hashtag stories will be rolling out over the coming weeks.