Instagram can update the map feature to easily tell if you’re sharing your location

On Monday, Instagram announced it was updating its map feature to make it easier to see if you’re sharing your location. Social Networks also announced in August that it will launch a snapmap-like feature for Indian users, following its initial rollout to US and Canadian users.

When the feature first launched, it caused widespread confusion, and many social media posts prompted users to turn off location sharing, falsely claiming it was enabled by default. At the time, Instagram head Adam Mosseri reassured users that they would only see if they decided to share that their location would only be visible to others.

Now, two months later, Instagram will add a more prominent indicator to the top of the map, reminding you if users are sharing their locations, or if the device location is completely off. There is also a new indicator that appears under the profile picture in the note tray on the DMS page, which makes it clear whether you are not sharing a location.

Additionally, users initially tagged the location of the post and shared a real-time location on the map, as their profile photos were displayed in content. However, this is not the case as this feature simply draws posts with location tags. To reduce confusion, Instagram has deleted profile photos from map content to make it clear that it doesn’t show someone’s current location.

Instagram also displays educational reminders that notify users that they will appear on the map when they add a location tag to a story, reel, or post. Please note that this is not entirely new as Instagram already shows location tags that are visible to users in the map view.

To make it even more clear, Instagram displays a preview to show users how content will appear on the map when you add a location to your Instagram content.

With the new map feature, Instagram cloned the app’s Core Stories feature in 2016 and then copied even more popular features from Snapchat.

When Instagram announced the feature, it said it was designed to make it easier for friends to adjust and link for hangouts. Users can also explore location-based content that their friends and favorite creators are sharing or involved with.

Whether you choose to share your location or not, you can use the map to explore location-based content, Instagram said.