What is Instagram's Map feature? How do I turn it off?
The social media platform has launched a new tool for users to share their location with friends in real time.
Meta’s Instagram has introduced a new feature which allows users to share their current location with friends and followers.
The app already had an option where users could tag their location on posts and stories. This new feature means a user’s location is updating whenever they open the app or return to it if it’s running in the background – regardless of posts and stories.
While the move has sparked some concerns by US Senators over privacy and how vulnerable people could be targeted, Meta says the feature is off by default and users who want to enable it will have to turn it on.
Even if you have the feature turned off on your account, followers can still share their location with you.
Meta / Instagram
The feature can also be used to explore location-tagged content, including reels, posts, and stories from people you follow (available for 24 hours after it’s posted).
How do you turn location sharing on/off in Instagram?
The Map is only available on the mobile version of the app, not desktop.
To check what setting you have, navigate to:
- Messages in the top right of Feed.
- Tap Map at the top of your inbox.
- Tap Settings in the top right. Choose ‘no one’ if you don’t want to share your location at all. Or you can customise who sees your location. (Note: you will only be able to share your location with accounts you follow.)
- Tap Update at the bottom to save your changes.
Your Map should also display your current settings.
- A blue arrow will indicate you are sharing your location with your selected audience.
- A red dot means you’re not sharing your location.
- An orange triangle means you need to enable location permissions on your device to share your location.
An icon on the map will indicate what your location sharing settings are.
Meta / Instagram
Alternatively, you can head to your phone’s privacy and security settings if you want to check which of your apps have access to location services in the first place.
If you have a ‘Teen Account’ set up for an underage person, Meta says you will be notified if they share their location.
“You can decide whether your teen has access to location sharing on the map and see who your teen is sharing their location with.”
If it’s on, how long is my location visible for?
If you haven’t used the app after 24 hours, your location disappears, Meta says.
Who can see my location?
You can customise settings to share your location with friends (followers you follow back), Close Friends or Only selected friends. (Again, you can only share location with accounts you follow.)
But even if you have yours turned off, others can still share their location with you (swipe up to see a list of everyone who is sharing their location with you).
You can choose to not share your location in specific places (up to 3 places can be set as ‘hidden’) or certain accounts. To hide it from certain accounts, follow the steps below.
- Tap Messages in the top right of Feed.
- Tap Map at the top of your inbox.
- Tap Settings in the top right.
- Tap the three dots, Options, in the top right, then tap Hide from....
- Tap each account you’d like to hide your location from.
- Tap Done at the bottom to save your changes.
People who are sharing their location with you can send a 'request' for you to share your location too. Meta says they won’t be notified if you decline their request.
What are the concerns with this feature?
While the platform is not the first to introduce a location sharing feature, experts have been raising concerns about what they mean for vulnerable people and relationships.
These features are also used to feed information to advertisers too.
“Even if you do not have Location Services enabled, Instagram can still gather information about your location based on information that you and others provide through your activities and connections on our services,” Meta says on its FAQ page.
“Instagram uses your primary location to help keep your accounts secure, provide a more relevant experience on Instagram and show you ads for businesses and services you might be interested in.”
In a statement to RNZ, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner said it was good to see the feature is off by default but it was important users understood the implications of turning it on.
“While location information can be useful for finding your friends, it is also highly sensitive information that can lead to intrusions on people’s privacy.
“The immediate public concern about this feature shows that people are increasingly aware of privacy issues and want clear information on how their information is used and shared.
“This reflects the findings of our 2025 survey on New Zealanders’ attitudes to privacy, with 63 percent of respondents saying they are concerned about the management of personal information by social media companies.”
