Instagram Launches Live Friend Map and Reposts
Instagram is taking a bold step to bring back the “social” in social media with the rollout of a new set of features aimed at encouraging real-world connection and interaction. The platform’s newest update, launched globally on August 7, introduces an opt-in interactive map to share your friends’ locations, a dedicated Reposts tab, and a revamped Friends feed in Reels—all in a bid to shift away from endless content consumption and return to fostering relationships.
📍 Instagram Map: Share Where You Are—But Only If You Want To
The highlight of the update is the Instagram Map, a feature that allows users to share their last active location with friends. Located at the top of your DM inbox, the map only updates when you open the app—not in real-time—giving users complete control over their privacy. Users can:
-
Choose who sees their location (mutual followers, Close Friends, custom groups)
-
Exclude certain people or locations
-
Turn off sharing at any time
Instagram has added an extra layer of security for younger users: teen accounts will notify parents if location sharing is enabled.
In addition to seeing friends’ last active locations, users can also explore location-tagged content—like Stories, Reels, Notes, and posts—shared by friends and public creators in nearby areas. This encourages real-world meetups and the discovery of local happenings, drawing strong comparisons to Snapchat’s popular Snap Map.
🔁 Reposts: Make Sharing Effortless (and Visible)
Another long-requested feature finally arrives: Reposts. Users can now reshare public posts and Reels directly into their followers’ feeds. All reposted content appears in a new, dedicated Reposts tab on each user’s profile—making it easy to see what someone enjoys or supports.
Unlike screenshots or third-party apps, this native feature gives credit to original creators and increases reach while allowing users to add personal context to shared content. It’s a move designed to drive meaningful engagement while keeping users on-platform.
🎥 Friends Tab in Reels: A Feed That Actually Feels Social
Instagram is also debuting a Friends Tab within Reels, showing content your friends have interacted with—liked, commented on, reposted, or shared. The tab allows for:
-
Direct messaging on videos from within the feed
-
Private activity controls, letting users hide their likes or mute others
This update addresses long-standing user frustration with algorithm-dominated feeds. According to internal data, by early 2025, content from friends accounted for just 7% of what users saw on Instagram, contributing to a passive user experience. The new tab seeks to correct that by refocusing attention on the social graph.
💬 Why These Updates Matter
Instagram has received growing criticism in recent years for becoming more like a video-first entertainment platform than a social network. TikTok’s influence pushed Instagram toward Reels and viral content, but in the process, it lost what many users originally loved—personal connection.
Instagram Head Adam Mosseri acknowledged the shift in direction, stating that the platform now wants to “support connection, not just consumption.” The new features aim to deepen interaction without overwhelming users with noise or violating their boundaries.
These features also align with Meta’s broader mission of responsible innovation—especially when it comes to privacy. Every update in this rollout includes opt-in controls, visibility limits, and clear notification settings. Parents, too, now have more visibility when teens opt into potentially sensitive features like location sharing.
⚖️ Copycat or Smart Evolution?
While many welcome the changes, critics were quick to point out that Instagram’s new map strongly resembles Snapchat’s Snap Map, and its reposts are similar to X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok’s sharing options. The Verge even labeled it a “rip-off with polish.”
Still, others argue that platforms adopting best practices from competitors is a sign of healthy innovation—especially when features are implemented with thoughtful design and enhanced user safety.
