New Visual Search Technology For Instagram

Facebook is working on Visual Search Technology for Instagram as it doubles down on shopping features throughout its platform. In a live audio room on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg said the company is in the early stages of building camera-based search tools.

The feature would be similar to the ones offered by Snapchat and Pinterest, which have both invested heavily in visual search. Zuckerberg sketched two potential use cases for the technology on Instagram. When browsing Instagram, Visual Search Technology could surface similar products available elsewhere in the app, or it could allow users to find products using their cameras or images from their camera roll.

Zuckerberg said that when you find something you’ll be able to tap on it and find similar products that people across all of our shops are selling the moment that you see something that you like. He thinks that visual search is going to help make photos shoppable on Instagram.In addition to Visual Search Technology for Instagram, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook Shops will soon be arriving on Marketplace and WhatsApp. Facebook has been integrating product catalogues into WhatsApp chats, but now businesses will be able to create storefronts for the chat app.

The company is also working on Shops ads, which would allow businesses to target ads based on people’s individual shopping preferences. Eventually, Facebook could further personalize these ads with special offers or promotions.The rollout for Shops in WhatsApp will start soon, and Shops inventory in Marketplace is available now for Shops in the U.S. with on-site checkout. Over on Instagram, an AI-based Visual Search feature will roll out for testing in the coming months.