Instagram Adds A New Map Feature, Similar To SnapChat

[Gigabyte Computer Solutions]

Instagram is updating its Map feature to make it easier for users to tell whether they’re sharing their location — a move aimed at clearing up confusion that spread during the feature’s initial rollout.

The company announced on Monday that it’s adding a clearer indicator at the top of the Map to show whether a user’s location is being shared or if device location is turned off entirely. There’s also a new visual cue under users’ profile photos in the Notes tray on the DMs page to indicate when they’re not sharing their location.

This update comes two months after Instagram launched the feature in the U.S. and Canada, which led to widespread misunderstanding online.

Many users wrongly believed location sharing was automatically enabled, prompting warnings across social media to “turn it off.” At the time, Instagram head Adam Mosseri assured users that location sharing only happens when they choose to do so.

Now, as part of its latest rollout — which includes India — Instagram is taking extra steps to avoid confusion. The platform has removed profile photos from Map content, after users mistakenly assumed tagged posts meant someone’s real-time location was being revealed. The update clarifies that the Map only displays content tagged with a location, not live positioning.

To make the experience more transparent, Instagram will also display educational reminders explaining that when you add a location to a post, Reel, or Story, it can appear on the Map. Users will even get a preview of how their content will look there before publishing.

The feature, first introduced in August, aims to help friends coordinate meetups and explore local content from people they follow — similar to Snapchat’s Snap Map, which it’s clearly inspired by.

Whether or not users opt to share their own locations, Instagram says everyone will still be able to explore location-based posts and discover what’s trending nearby.

This move reinforces Instagram’s continued push to blend social discovery with real-world exploration — just with a little more transparency this time.

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