Instagram is quietly rolling out a new feature called Instagram Map—a location-based discovery tool that feels a lot like Snap Map but with Instagram’s own spin. U.S. users can now opt in to share their most recent active location with friends and discover location-tagged content from people they follow.
But before you switch it on, here’s what you should know—and how to keep control over what gets shared.
What Instagram Map Actually Does
Unlike Snap Map’s real-time location sharing, Instagram Map updates your location only when you open the app or have it running in the background. It doesn’t track you continuously.
By default, location sharing is off. But users are already seeing other people pop up on the Map—this isn’t because of live location sharing, but because Instagram is pulling tagged locations from Stories or Reels that users have posted recently.
So yes, your tagged content could still show up on the Map even if you’re not actively sharing your location.
How to Access Instagram Map
To try it out:
- Go to your DMs (Direct Messages).
- Tap the Map icon at the top.
- If it’s your first time, you’ll get a pop-up explaining how it works and your current visibility settings.
When you first open Map, Instagram asks: “Who can see your location?”
You can choose:
Friends (mutual followers)
Close Friends
Selected users
No one
To tweak this later:
- Tap your profile > Settings (top-right corner).
- Go to Story, Live and Location
- Select Location Sharing
Worth noting: Even if you’ve turned off sharing, you can still see others who’ve shared their location with you.
What You’ll See on the Map
Once you’re in, the Map shows: Friends who’ve shared their location. Stories and Reels with tagged locations from people you follow. Creators’ content tied to nearby places (restaurants, events, etc.)
Even with your location off, the Map still surfaces content tagged by others.
Instagram is also extending its Notes feature to the Map. Think of it as leaving a quick post-it in a location—ephemeral messages that appear on the Map if you add a location tag. These are the same Notes you currently see at the top of your DMs, just now... more spatial.
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