Stars and major publications with social media influence are clearly in constant pursuit of going viral and now, some have started geo-tagging Singapore, Singapore on Instagram, despite never having visited the nation, let alone learning about it.
Why, you’d ask? This geo-tag apparently helps their photos and videos appear on Instagram’s Explore page, which can then boost the chances of these photos and videos being seen by other users around the world.
We’ve noticed that publications like Refinery 29 and even the King of Instagram Dan Bilzerian have used this hack in the recent weeks, but no one can come up with a rational as to why this works or where it started.
Some however, assumed that Instagram rolled out the algorithmic feed in various Asian countries like Singapore, and by geo-tagging the posts there, they are able to reach the top of users’ feeds more easily.
The hack also involves taking the Singapore tag off after 24 hours for it to fully work. So, if you noticed a friend geo-tagging Singapore, Singapore, you know what’s up.
[UPDATE] 20 December 2016
It’s over, guys!
Instagram has finally fixed a bug that allowed users to geo-tag themselves as being in Singapore in an attempt to go viral, even though they were never there.
That hack apparently increased the chances of a post appearing on the Explore page on the app, thus increasing the probability for more likes and attract more followers.
An Instagram spokesperson mentioned that they have now fixed the issue regarding Instagram’s algorithm.
