Instagram is making significant investments to enhance its search capabilities as it works to more effectively compete with rival platforms like TikTok. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, recently acknowledged that improving the app’s search functionality, particularly what the company calls “content search,” is a strategic priority. He admitted Instagram has traditionally lagged behind in this area and is now allocating more resources and personnel to address the shortcoming.
Mosseri explained that Instagram’s earlier efforts were handled by a relatively small team, but Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has recently expanded the group responsible for search features. He said that users currently face difficulties when searching for specific content rather than accounts, noting, “It’s not very good on Instagram.”
Looking ahead, Mosseri articulated the company’s vision for search as useful both for regular users seeking specific content and for creators who want their content to remain relevant for longer periods, extending its visibility beyond its initial posting. “It’s a long road,” he acknowledged, but he highlighted the potential benefits for both content creators and users. Enhanced search will not only make it easier for users to find relevant material but will also help valuable content resurface long after it’s first published, addressing a key frustration with the fast pace of today’s social feeds.
Instagram’s renewed focus on search comes as user behavior among younger demographics—especially Gen Z—continues to evolve away from traditional search engines towards platforms like TikTok and Instagram itself. Over the past several years, industry analysts have noted this shift, pointing out that younger users frequently rely on social apps to discover new information, trends, and industries instead of relying solely on web-based searches.
For example, recent studies have indicated that a significant portion of younger users already prefer social platforms for informational searches. A Bernstein Research report noted that around 45% of Gen Z relies on social media more often than traditional search engines. Additionally, a HerCampus study cited in eMarketer found that 51% of younger internet users favored TikTok for searches, primarily attracted by its short-form video format.
This new landscape is a growing concern for Google, whose executives have previously warned that platforms like TikTok and Instagram pose a meaningful threat to Google’s core services, including Search and Maps. TikTok itself has targeted Google even more directly by recently allowing advertisers to place ads targeting its search results page.
According to Mosseri, Instagram recognizes it must evolve beyond basic social interactions like feeds and chats if it wishes to stay competitive. Currently, Mosseri revealed that only a small percentage of regular Instagram users post daily content to their feeds, while most interaction with friends takes place in Stories and direct messages. This evolution, Mosseri pointed out, changes the expectations around what Instagram’s main feed is for, making it less personal and more public—a situation that lends itself well to robust search and discovery enhancements.
Instagram also plans improvements around its recommended search feature, particularly leveraging comment sections. Mosseri explained that TikTok effectively uses comments to identify relevant suggested search terms. Instagram aims to emulate—and possibly enhance—this approach, since comments on a post often contain more contextually valuable information than the content itself. He confirmed that an improved version of this recommendation feature, integrating comments more effectively, will soon be rolled out.
Taken together, these planned upgrades underscore Instagram’s determination to become a stronger player in the increasingly important social media search space, positioning itself more aggressively against competitors like TikTok for the attention of the next generation of internet users.
