WHAT CAUSED INSTAGRAM TO END THE FOLLOWING OF HASHTAGS?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InstagramYou’re not dreaming if you’ve discovered that posts from your favorite hashtags have inexplicably disappeared from your Instagram feed. Instagram discreetly discontinued the feature of following hashtags in late 2024. This feature had been available since 2017 and was formerly a common tool to keep track of interests and find specialized communities.
Why, therefore, the change? Instagram did not release an official statement outlining the change, but it seems to be a part of a larger initiative to reduce spam and improve the quality of material. The hashtag-following tool eventually turned into a haven for clickbait, bots, and useless messages, making your feed more cluttered rather than better. Additionally, hashtags were no longer performing up to par since the algorithm was taking over the task of selecting what you see on Instagram.
Let’s examine the specific changes, their significance, and further applications for hashtags—yes, they are still in use.
Why it is no longer possible to follow hashtags on Instagram
When hashtags initially came out, they were a straightforward yet powerful tool for finding new material. Dreamy vistas from a diverse range of creators would fill your feed if you followed something like #TravelPhotography. With less influencer overload, #MinimalistHome gave you DIY inspiration and comfortable interiors. Additionally, there were no conditions (or strict adherence) attached, making it a brilliant shortcut to the stuff you truly cared about.
However, like a lot of positive things on the internet, the vibrations were taken over. It became too simple to game hashtags. In order to increase visibility, bots, spam accounts, and clout-chasers began to cram pointless messages under trending tags. In an attempt to be found, even well-meaning individuals started stuffing their captions with hashtags.
Instagram made an effort to tidy up. In order to prevent the spread of damaging content during the 2020 U.S. election, it removed the “Recent” tab. In 2022, it reinstated the same strategy to combat spam. However, opinions differed—many users thought it was more difficult to find new content—and the solution failed to solve the underlying issue. Instead than investing more resources in its enforcement, Instagram decided to eliminate the feature completely. On December 13, 2024, the upgrade was stealthily released, with notifications sent out right within the app.
Is it still possible to utilize Instagram hashtags?
To help your material be seen, you may still search for hashtags, browse through the most popular and recent postings, and include them in your own work. You are no longer able to follow them in the same way that you would a person or page. This implies that hashtag-curated content won’t be randomly added to your stream any more. That’s a bit of a shock for creators. In the past, using hashtags to expand your audience required little work. You’ll now need to rely more on Reels, clever descriptions, and the powerful Explore tab to get recognized since that stream of discovery is no longer available.
All of this is a part of Instagram’s larger rebranding. With the help of algorithms that actively learn your tastes by analyzing what you interact with—or don’t—the platform is moving toward tailored feeds. Instagram is promoting a more comprehensive (and natural) strategy for developing and interacting with an audience rather than focusing solely on hashtags.
Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, has stated that hashtags are not a growth hack. They “assist in classifying content, but they do not ensure distribution,” he said. In plain English? Your content and the way people interact with it are what really count. You will now need to manually check in if you are missing that customized feed of rare vintage finds, dog memes, or trip inspiration. Or simply hope that Instagram’s algorithm is familiar with you.
