Technology
Instagram offers new 'guides' tab that is currently restricted to healthcare influencers
Instagram is implementing a new feature called "Guides" that allows users to discover their favorite creators' or public figures' recommendations and other content. Guides are essentially a tab inside a user profile where they can create articular updates from old posts and videos that highlight a certain topic, including IGTV videos with small titles and headers. Today, the social media site on Facebook focusses on health content Guides across the coronavirus pandemic, so a particular community of wellness influencers may make use of this feature. Instagram added that in the next few days, guides will appear in the Explorer tab.
Where are 'guides' and what are they doing?
Instagram's 'Guides' feature is available to wellness influencers of limited size such as Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone), Sudahdong NGO (@SudahDong), Klicksafe (@klicksafe).
The app has been released both on Android and iOS and users can access it in India. The 'Guides' tab is however not added to Instagram's Web version.
In the abovementioned user profiles the Guides icon can be found next to the IGTV or Post icon. When you click on the icon, you can display several guides which highlight a certain subject, namely health and wellness topics. You can see a number of photos and videos with pictures the user has curated after clicking the Guides post. By clicking on any photo or video, you are taken back to the user's original message.
Instagram clarified that the initial implementation is restricted to well-being influencers, as the site seeks to address health issues in the midst of the pandemic.
"We have many people struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we focus first on Wellness Content Guides. We'll enable designers to link up with expert organisations, including tips on how to care, connect with people, or manage anxiety or sorrow during this time."
In addition, the company has announced that in the next few days, users will access 'Guides.' At this point, the report did not include information as to whether general users would use the Guide feature or whether it is being expanded to more areas of interest, although both seem to be possible in future.
