Menlo Park: Instagram is currently experimenting with a feature reminiscent of Snapchat's Snap Maps, allowing users to post text and videos on a map based on where the content was captured, and share it with their friends. This feature would display updates from users and their friends side by side on the map.
One notable difference from Snap Maps is Instagram's expected emphasis on privacy. Christine Pai, a Meta spokesperson, shared with The Verge that users will have the ability to control who sees their location, such as limiting it to Close Friends or mutual followers. Pai mentioned that this feature is currently being tested in select markets and participation is entirely voluntary, with users needing to opt-in to share their location with Instagram.
The new feature, which has been referred to as "Friend Map" in earlier reports, might also include a "Ghost Mode" similar to Snapchat, allowing users to conceal their last active location. Instagram had a similar feature in 2012 that mapped users’ photos, but it didn’t allow sharing with friends and was discontinued in 2016.
Snap Maps, introduced by Snapchat in 2017, enables public posts to be shared on a global map.
In related news, Instagram recently increased the maximum number of photos or videos that can be included in a carousel post from 10 to 20, giving users more flexibility in sharing their content.
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