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Instagram is introducing three new tools to the photo and video sharing app. The company mentions that the new map feature will let users see where their friends are located on a map, taking inspiration from the Snap Map tool used by Snapchat. Additionally, Instagram will let users share their reels and posts again and will include a new Friends section in Reels, similar to TikTok. Other users will also be able to check what someone has shared on their profile. The platform owned by Meta shared that it is launching these three new functions, confirming that the Repost and Friends sections in Reels are already accessible to users in India. Meanwhile, the map feature that allows location sharing is currently offered in the United States.
The first function lets Instagram users share public reels and posts from others, which will also be suggested to their friends and followers. These reposted items will show up in a different tab on a user's profile, allowing others to review them later. However, the original creator of the reels and posts will still receive credit for them. Reels and posts that an Instagram user shares again will be visible to people who do not follow them, which may help more people see their content. According to the blog, users can repost a reel or post by simply tapping the new icon added. They can also add a comment to the content they are sharing again by typing into the “thought bubble” on the screen and then clicking the save button.
The new Instagram Map is greatly influenced by the feature from Snapchat that shows a user's location. Instagram users can choose to share their last known location with specific friends and can turn it off whenever they want. The map will also show what the people they follow are sharing from various places. Every time the app is opened, it will refresh the user’s location. Instagram states that location sharing is turned off by default, requiring users to enable it manually. The app will also let users customize their location options. In addition to choosing who can see their Instagram map, parents can monitor their teenagers’ location sharing settings within the app. Instagram will notify a parent or guardian if their children begin sharing their location with others.
In addition to this, Instagram Map will show content that relates to specific places for users. Content tagged with locations will appear on the map, including reels, posts, and stories from users’ friends, which will be visible for 24 hours after being shared, along with notes from other users they both follow. Currently, Instagram Map can only be accessed in the United States and is found in the inbox section. The final feature introduces a new section called ‘Friends’ within the Reels tab. Users can view publicly shared reels that others have engaged with or those suggested by Blends. Instagram states that users will find it “simple” to start chats about shared content. This feature is already active in India and allows users to hide their likes and comments on reels and to mute activity updates from people they follow.
