Instagram will start recommending video channels for you to watch

Next time you’re looking for something to watch on Instagram, you might have better luck: Instagram is rolling out an update to its Explore section so that it’ll start recommending video collections it thinks you’ll be interested in. These collections won’t just be a big stream of unrelated videos — rather, Instagram is building “channels” around certain topics, and it’ll surface ones that it thinks you’ll like. Channels include “cheerleaders,” “comedians,” “cake decorating,” “pit bulls,” and “skateboarders.” There’ll be around 20 at launch.

Instagram started taking video more seriously back in April, when it first launched video channels within Explore. There’s been a basic recommendation section since then, which just collected any video Instagram thought might be up your alley, as well as occasional “featured” channels. The big difference now is that those specific channels are here to stay, and Instagram will try to direct them to the right people, potentially making them into a destination.

Or not, since I’m not sure that people actually use the Explore section. Instagram suggests, at least, that its actions are working. Over the last six months, it says that time spent watching video in the app has increased by 150 percent. On a related note, it recently increased the maximum video length by 400 percent.