Is Brunch Trending? Ask Instagram

Heads up, Instagram users: The next time you click over to the Explore section, things may look a little different.

The Facebook-owned photo-sharing service on Tuesday pushed out an update for iOS and Android, bringing a redesigned Explore tab for those in the U.S. and search improvements for everyone.

Now, when you tap on the little magnifying glass to check out the Explore section, you'll see more than just a grid of photos. The newly revamped section shows a list of trending places and tags (like #bonnaroo or #fathersday), so you can see what's most popular at that moment.

At the top of the new Explore page you'll see a rotating selection of curated collections featuring interesting accounts and places you might want to check out (like extreme athletes, ancient ruins, or NBA rising stars). Instagram said it hand-picks these featured collections, and will update them regularly so there's always something new to explore.

Meanwhile, the update also brings some big changes for search. You can now search by location — so it's even easier to check out exotic destinations you might want to visit, or just scope out a new restaurant in your hood. You can also finally now search across all usernames, real names, hashtags, and locations at once with the new "Top" search option.

"With more than 70 million photos and videos posted to Instagram every day, wherever something is happening, chances are you can see it here," the Instagram team wrote in a blog post Tuesday. "Whether it's behind the scenes at the NBA Finals, on the runway with the latest fashion trend, at a favorite club with a local band, people are capturing moments large and small on Instagram. But, until now, there's never been an easy way to find these moments."

The update, Instagram version 7.0, is available in the App Store and Google Play.

In April, Twitter updated its mobile app to better explain what its trending topics actually mean. In doing so, it sacked the "Discovery" option on its mobile app. You'll now find Twitter trending topics in the app's search section.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read the latest from Angela Moscaritolo

Read full bio