Instagram Experiments with Three-Hashtag Limit, Reducing the 30-Tag Cap: Report

Instagram is reportedly trialling a stricter "only three hashtags are allowed" limit for some users, sharply reducing the long-standing 30-hashtag cap. The test appears to affect content discovery and post reach, though Meta has not yet confirmed any details or explained the experiment publicly.

Several users, cited in a DroidApp report, say the platform now blocks extra tags once three are added. When a fourth hashtag is entered, a notice appears that reads that "only three hashtags are allowed", preventing any additional tags from being attached to that post.

Instagram Hashtags Limit Test and Current Hashtag Rules

Instagram hashtags help posts surface in searches, trends, and algorithm-based suggestions, so any Instagram hashtags limit change could influence visibility. Historically, Instagram has permitted up to 30 hashtags per post, giving users broad scope to target topics, communities, and niche interests across the app.

The current three-hashtag experiment does not appear on every account. According to the report, some profiles still operate with the older 30-tag allowance, while others hit the new barrier. This pattern suggests an A/B test, where Instagram compares behaviour across different versions.

At this stage, Meta has not released a comment explaining why the Instagram hashtags limit might be reduced or how long the trial will run. The company has also not shared whether the three-hashtag cap could eventually reach all users worldwide or stay as a limited test.

Instagram Hashtags Limit and New Recommendation Controls

Alongside the Instagram hashtags limit experiment, Instagram is also working on tools that let users shape recommendation topics more directly. Adam Mosseri announced controls that start with Reels suggestions and are expected to expand later to the Explore tab.

The new controls sit in a Settings area called "Your Algorithm", where users can review and adjust subjects used to guide recommendations. The section summarises recent interests and engagement, which, in Mosseri's own example, include "Luxury Watches, Fashion Week, Bad Bunny, Stand-up Comedy, and Concerts."

These planned controls aim to give people more say over what appears in feeds and browsing sections, while the Instagram hashtags limit test focuses on how posts are categorised. Unrelated technology headlines, such as "Researchers Claim to Jailbreak Gemini 3 Within Minutes" and "Government Wants New Smartphones to Pre-Install Sanchar Saathi App", also highlight wider debates about platform control.