Summary
- Instagram has a new “Map” feature showing real-time locations; good to check if your settings aren’t set to share.
- Update location sharing preferences in DM settings to control who sees your location on Instagram.
- Even with sharing off, you can still view friends’ locations; watch for blue (sharing) or red (not sharing) arrows.
Seasoned social media users will remember when Snapchat launched a controversial feature that showed where your friends were at all times. Well, Instagram has something similar, and you may want to adjust some settings.
This new “Map” feature, which you’ll find at the top of your DMs, lets you see where your friends are in real time (along with location-tagged posts). While this feature is off by default, I noticed that I seemed to be visible on the map. Just to be safe, it’s a good idea to take a look at your settings and ensure this feature won’t share your location.
Previously, you could share your location in DMs, similar to what you might do with Google Maps, and it would disappear after 24 hours if you hadn’t opened the app. Now, if you have the new Maps feature enabled, your location updates every time you open the app and disappears if you don’t open it for 24 hours.
The good news is this isn’t just a blanket on or off feature. You can choose to share with friends or followers you follow back, your “Close Friends” list, or just a few selected friends. And you can also single out specific people not to share your location with. For parents, the new feature gives you the ability to see who your kids are sharing their location with, and you can even get a notification when they start sharing their location.
Also, even if you have location sharing turned off, you can still open the Map and see where your friends are. In the top corner, you’ll see an icon to indicate your status. A blue arrow means you’re sharing your location, a red arrow means you’re not sharing your location, and an orange triangle means the Instagram app doesn’t have location permission on your device.
If you want to double-check and make sure you don’t have this feature enabled, here’s how to turn off location sharing on Instagram:
- Open Instagram.
- Tap the Messages icon in the top right corner.
- Tap the Map feature at the top of your DMs.
- Tap the settings gear icon in the top right of the map.
- Choose your location sharing preferences.
- Tap “Update.”
That’s all there is to it! Features like this are generally disabled by default, but it can still be a bit scary. It’s never a bad idea to do a quick audit of the permissions you’re granting an app, especially when it comes to social media apps.
Source: Mashable