Instagram Will soon start Automatically Showing Public Post Photos & Videos In Search Engine Results

Instagram / Photos & Videos in Search Engine Results

Starting July 10, 2025, Instagram will begin allowing search engines to automatically display public photos and videos from professional accounts in search results, according to new in-app notifications.

This applies to content that is already publicly visible on Instagram, but now it may appear more broadly across the web, such as on Google, without requiring users to log into Instagram. Creators will still have the option to opt out through their account privacy settings.

Why It Matters: Some are saying this is a brand-new feature, but Instagram has quietly allowed creators to toggle this setting on or off for several months. I’ve personally had access to it. What may be new is that Instagram will now automatically enable this by default and that search engines are beginning to surface more of this content.

Either way, this points to a larger trend. Social platforms and AI-powered search engines are becoming primary tools for content discovery, helping users find products, local spots, creators, and news.

This change gives creators and brands a new opportunity to increase visibility and traffic to their Instagram accounts, especially if they take the time to optimize their posts. Refining captions with relevant keywords could help content rank higher in search. TikTok is often considered the leader in social media search, but Instagram, along with platforms like YouTube, is clearly working to strengthen its own discovery capabilities.

In a recent interview, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri shared that the platform is focused on improving both its in-app search and how Instagram content appears in external search engines like Google.