Instagram battles Twitter with updated Explore and Search features

One of the defining features of Twitter is trending topics. It's easy to catch up on what's hot right now, and it's something that Instagram is borrowing in its latest update. The millions of users of the photo service now have access to a new Explore page that includes not only a trending component that highlights events and topics that people are posting about, but also trending tags and places.

These new options make it easier to home in on content of interest, and changes have also been made to Search. You have the option to search Places, Tags, and People separately, or you can use the Top section to search all at once.

The all-new Explore page has been designed to make it faster than ever to find content you like. If you're particularly interested in pictures relating to a certain topic or event, you can quickly home in on them and browse through images, as well as connecting with conversations that are taking place. The updated search tool is all about helping people find what they want to see, but at the other end of the spectrum is another new Explorer feature -- curated content.

There is now a range of curated collections which Instagram uses to surface interesting images relating to a particular theme. Expect to see content from "interesting accounts and places, from musicians and extreme athletes to stunning architecture and gorgeous beaches". The new features are rolling out to Instagram users in the US for now, and a global rollout will follow once the experience has been "fine-tuned".