Instagram launches its new interactive map with location sharing and geolocated discovery
Instagram is gradually rolling out its “Map” feature in France, allowing users to share their current location with friends and explore content related to specific places.
This new feature, which was globally launched last August, is now coming to India with several important improvements for clarity and user experience.
An Interactive Map for Sharing and Discovering
The new Instagram map offers two main uses:
- Share your location with selected friends,
- Discover geolocated posts (Reels, Stories, Notes, Posts).
Users can choose whether to share their location and with whom. It is possible to:
- Select specific friends or groups,
- Disable sharing in certain areas,
- Or disable it completely.
For monitored accounts of teenagers, parents receive a notification when location sharing is activated and can adjust associated permissions.
Instagram emphasizes that this feature is based on consent and transparency: no automatic sharing occurs without the explicit agreement of the user.
Explore Places Through Content
The map is not limited to geolocation: it also allows users to explore the world through the posts of their friends and favorite creators. Users can discover:
- Reels filmed at a specific location,
- Stories associated with a place,
- Notes or posts tagged geographically.
The content visible on the map remains available for 24 hours and can be accessed directly from the DM icon. This approach enhances the community and local dimension of Instagram by facilitating the discovery of popular places or nearby events.
Improvements Since the Global Launch
For its rollout in France, Instagram has refined the feature to enhance user understanding and avoid confusion around location sharing:
- A permanent indicator appears at the top of the map to signal whether sharing is active or disabled.
- A second indicator below the profile picture, in the “Notes” area, specifies when the location is not shared.
- Profile pictures have been removed from geotagged content to avoid misleading users into thinking they indicate a live position.
- Before posting a story, reel, or post with a location, an educational message reminds users that the content will be visible on the map.
- A preview shows what the geolocated content will look like on the map before it goes live.
These adjustments aim to make the experience more transparent, safe, and intuitive for users.
Progressive Availability
Instagram has confirmed that the “Map” feature is now available to users in France, with a gradual rollout nationwide.
This expansion marks an important step for Meta, which seeks to enhance the social and local aspects of Instagram.
“No matter how you use the map, you now have an easy and fun way to stay connected with your friends,” Instagram stated in its official announcement.
With this new interactive map, Instagram combines geolocation and social discovery while paying special attention to privacy protection. For users, it presents a new way to explore the world via Instagram, finding both iconic locations and their friends’ experiences, all on a dynamic map.
