Vine has just released an update that will make it easier for users to look for content.
The update is geared for iOS devices but the company will be following it up with an app for the Android. No details have been released as to when this Android update will arrive, though.
While it was a comparatively small update, it gives users several options to find video content that might be relevant to what they’re searching for or what catches their eyes.
Until recently, whenever a user searches for content on Vine, s/he would be shown the usernames and hashtags appropriate to the search term.
But with the update, users can view the actual Vine videos in the search query.
This significant change can be seen in the Explore tab. Users can go to the tab and enter the word, phrase, account name, or hash tag they’re looking for.
The videos are divided into two groups, one group showing the most popular videos relevant to the search term and the other one showing recent uploads.
“In addition to searching people and tags, you can also choose to watch either top or recent posts as you scroll through a feed of Vines,” senior software engineer Sergey Grankin explains.
A toggle helps users move between the top and recent posts, enabling people to explore more Vines.
This is a tremendous improvement for Vine and one that can result in a significant increase in user engagement. This will encourage people to start using the app for longer periods now that it’s easier to explore and find new content.
Vine has been making a lot of changes to its features and functions recently. The app released more expansive sharing features last April. With it, Vines can be simultaneously shared to multiple sources. It also came out with a support for looping 720p resolution videos last March.
And just last week, the video-sharing app made a change to its notifications. With the recent update, users will be able to to see notifications when people watch or interact with re-vines in their feed or their profile page.
It seems that there are big things on Vine’s horizon . During Apple’s WWDC keynote address last Monday, the company announced that a Vine app is headed to Apple’s WatchOS 2.0 when it’s released this fall.
So pretty soon, Apple Watch owners will be able to watch their videos on their wrists.
[Image via Marc Guberti]
