Instagram announced on Monday that it’s updating its Map feature to make it easier for users to know when they’re sharing their location. The social network also revealed that the feature is rolling out to users in India, following its initial launch in the United States and Canada in August.
When the feature first debuted, it sparked confusion among users, with viral posts warning people to turn off location sharing, many falsely believing it was enabled by default. Instagram head Adam Mosseri later clarified that users’ locations are only visible to others if they choose to share them.
To reduce future misunderstandings, Instagram has added a prominent indicator at the top of the Map showing whether a user’s location is shared or if device location is turned off. A similar indicator will also appear under the user’s profile picture in the Notes tray within DMs.
In addition, Instagram removed profile photos from Map content to eliminate the misconception that tagged posts reveal someone’s live location. The company also introduced an educational reminder explaining that location tags in posts, Stories, or Reels will appear on the Map. A new preview option will now show users how their tagged content will look before posting.
Related: Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri Denies Meta Secretly Listens to Users’ Conversations
The Map feature, which mirrors Snapchat’s popular Snap Map, allows users to explore location-based content shared by friends and creators. Instagram says the goal is to make it easier for people to coordinate meetups and discover nearby posts, without compromising privacy.
