Instagram’s latest Reels update brings three major features—an interactive location map, a repost function, and a global “Friends” tab—designed to deepen social discovery and enhance user engagement across the platform.
The new Instagram Map lets users optionally share their last known location with selected friends. Location sharing is off by default, and updates occur only when the app is open, preventing continuous real-time tracking. Users choose exactly who can see their location—whether it’s all friends (mutual followers), Close Friends, specific individuals, or no one at all—and can further restrict visibility by place or person. For teens on supervised accounts, parental controls add an extra layer of safety.
Beyond simple location sharing, the map also surfaces location-tagged content. You might discover a friend’s story from a local festival, watch a Reel reviewing a nearby eatery, or even read short “Notes” left on the map. All tagged posts, stories, and Reels can appear here, making the map a hub for geographically organized content. The map icon will live at the top of the direct-message inbox; it’s already rolling out in the U.S. with broader global availability coming soon.
With Reposts, users can now share any public Reel or feed post directly to their followers. Shared content appears in friends’ main feeds and in its own “Reposts” tab on the sharer’s profile. Original creators receive full credit, helping them reach new audiences, and sharers can add their own captions or notes before publishing.
Finally, the globally launched “Friends” tab in Reels curates a personalized stream of public content that your friends have liked, commented on, reposted, or created. You can hide your own activity from appearing or mute specific accounts if you prefer. Together, these features—map, reposts, and Friends tab—reflect Instagram’s mission to keep friends connected through the content they share and discover, while also taking on competitors like Snapchat Map and filling the gap left by apps such as Zenly.
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