If you've logged into Instagram in the last day, you're probably aware of Instagram Map — a new feature that allows you to share your location with friends on the app through your posts. Because of, you know, everything, you might feel pretty wary of letting your online followers know where you are and what you're doing in real time.
Meta launched new Instagram updates on August 6, including this new location sharing feature and the ability to repost content you like to your feed. While the repost news is pretty exciting, many online are less than thrilled by the map feature, which seems to be similar to the Snapchat map. In posts on various platforms, people are raising safety concerns about the location-sharing update, marking it as yet another form of potential surveillance in an already overly public internet economy.
“Meta heard: ‘women feel unsafe online’ And said: let’s add a map to the Instagram DMs,” one Threads user wrote. Others have posted about their experiences being stalked or impersonated on social media, noting that they want more privacy — not less. In a statement to Teen Vogue, a Meta spokesperson said, “Instagram Map is off by default, and your live location is never shared unless you choose to turn it on. If you do, only people you follow back — or a private, custom list you select—can see your location."
Here's what you need to know about the Instagram Map, and how to opt out if you want to.
What is the Instagram Map?
According to Meta's announcement of its new updates, the Instagram Map allows you to share your last active location with friends of your choosing as a “lightweight way to connect with each other.” When you open the map, you can see reels, posts, and stories your friends and other creators have shared from specific locations.
“Regardless of whether you choose to share your location, you can use the map to explore location-based content,” the announcement says. “From checking out stories from friends who’ve gone to a concert or finding a new place to hang out from a local creator’s reel, there’s content to help you and your friends connect with the world around you.”
According to Instagram's help page, your location will update every time you open the app.
How to see the Instagram Map
You can see the Instagram Map by going to your DMs and looking at the row of icons above your messages. There, you'll see the map option, which you can click into and see content from your friends who have opted in to the feature.
How to turn off location sharing
If you don't want to show people where you are, the good news is that the Instagram Map is completely optional. In fact, you have to opt in to the map to be shown on it, so your location won't show up there unless you allow it to.
When you first open the map, it will ask you who you want to share your location with. There, you can choose not to share your location on the map, officially opting you out of the feature. Even if you don't choose to share your location, you can still see information from your friends who do choose to share theirs.
If you already shared your location but want to turn it off, navigate to the map and press the settings icon in the top right corner of your screen. That will give you the option to change your location settings, allowing you to turn off your location sharing. Make sure to click “update” to lock in those changes. You'll know you're not sharing your location on the map if you see an orange triangle near the settings icon, according to Instagram's help page.
You can also limit who you do share your location with, opting for only close friends, or even hiding it from specific people or during specific times. More info on that here.
Beyond the Instagram Map, you can also restrict your location sharing on the app in general by heading to “settings and activity,” or by limiting location service in your phone's settings.
