Facebook Inc.-owned Instagram is taking on some new Twitter-like features in its Explore tab, and the image-sharing app now includes Trending Tags and Trending Places to showcase the most popular current topics. It will also be getting an improved search function and new curated galleries with content chosen by Instagram staffers.

“We’ve completely reimagined the Explore page to make discovery on Instagram immediate and effortless,” Instagram said on its blog. “The new Explore now surfaces trends as they emerge in real-time, connecting you to events and conversations both near you and around the globe.”

Trending Tags and Trending Places will allow users to find popular new content easily, and the Explore tab will feature trending topics that are popular across the whole app as well as those that are near the user’s location. For example, you might see images from the Super Bowl next to pictures of a local concert.

Instagram also has new curated galleries made with images chosen by Instagram staff from “interesting accounts and places, from musicians and extreme athletes to stunning architecture and gorgeous beaches.”

A few example galleries listed on Instagram’s page include Ancient Ruins, Extreme Athletes and Glimmering Islands.

“We’ve dramatically improved the ability to find what you’re looking for”

Perhaps most exciting is Instagram’s improvements to its search tool, which has not always been the greatest. It will now be easier for users to search for images from specific people, places and events.

“For everyone on Instagram, we’ve dramatically improved the ability to find what you’re looking for,” Instagram said. “With the new Places Search, you can now peer in at just about any location on earth, allowing you to scout out your next vacation spot in the South Pacific, get a look inside that hot new restaurant or experience your favorite music festival — even if you couldn’t make it this year. The new Top Search also lets you search across people, places and tags all at once.”

The new Explore tab features are currently available in the U.S. only, but Instagram plans on rolling them out to other regions in the near future.

Image credit: Instagram