Everything you need to know about Instagram’s new map feature

Instagram introduces “Instagram Maps” a feature designed to help users connect with friends, but raises major safety concerns.

The app that was once known as a photo sharing app with fun filters like “Valencia” (if you know, you know) has now turned into a photo, video, shopping, and tracking app. This week, Instagram launched a series of new features, including the “Instagram Map.” 

“Stay up-to-date with friends with the Instagram map,” Meta wrote in a press release on Aug 6. “You can opt in to sharing your last active location with friends you choose, and you can turn it off anytime. You can also open the map to see content your friends and favorite creators are posting from interesting or fun locations. No matter how you use the map, you and your friends have a new, lightweight way to connect with each other.”

Described as a fun way to “connect with friends,” the new feature is also designed to help users connect with the world around them by exploring location-based content, such as a nearby friend’s story or finding a new restaurant from a local content creators’ posts. The Instagram map can be found in the top users’ DM inbox. 

According to the tech giant, location sharing is off for all users unless they opt in. However, some users report that their locations were automatically being shared without their knowledge until they opened the app and responded to the prompt about the new feature. In this roll-out, Instagram allows users to share their location with: friends (followers you follow back), Close Friends, strictly selected friends, or no one. Similarly, users can customize their location settings not to share their locations with specific people. 

“If you use location sharing, your location is updated whenever you open the app or return to the app if it’s been running in the background,” Meta explains, emphasizing that users can turn off their location sharing anytime. 

However, given the way most people use Instagram, the new feature has raised some safety concerns. Most people don’t know all their followers, let alone would want their locations shared with them, even if it’s just briefly or by accident. Additionally, Instagram users range in age from young children to preteens/teenagers to adults, raising even more concerns for children’s safety in an already precarious digital landscape. 

“If you’re a parent with supervision set up for your teen, you have control over their location sharing experience on the map,” the company shared. “You will receive a notification if your teen starts sharing their location, giving you the opportunity to have important conversations about how to safely share with friends. You can decide whether your teen has access to location sharing on the map and see who your teen is sharing their location with.” 

Still worried about your location being shared? 

Now, if you’re worried about the app glitching and somehow sharing your location despite your opting out, an easy way to ensure that the platform does not get access to your location services is to go into your smartphone settings and turn off the app’s location services altogether. 

For iPhone users, go to your iPhone settings, go to “Privacy & Security,” click on “Location Services,” select Instagram, and click “never” to block the app from accessing your device’s location.  

For Android users, go to your phone’s Settings, go to Apps, select Instagram, click Permissions, and tap on Location. From there, choose “Don’t Allow” or “Never” to prevent the app from accessing your device’s location