Instagram's new feature shows where your friends are hanging out
Instagram, the popular social media platform, has initiated trials for a new feature that mirrors Snapchat's Snap Maps. This innovative tool, first introduced by Snapchat in 2017, allows users to post text and video updates on a map based on their location. The map can be shared with friends so that their updates appear alongside each other.
Map feature prioritizes privacy
The key distinction between Instagram's version and Snap Maps lies in their privacy settings. Christine Pai, a spokesperson for Meta (Instagram's parent company) said to The Verge, that users must choose a "specific group of people" to share their location with. This could include "Close Friends or only followers they follow back." In contrast, Snapchat permits public posts on Snap Maps.
Limited testing and user control
Currently, Instagram's map feature is undergoing a "small test" in select markets. The feature is opt-in and provides controls over location sharing. "As always, we are building this feature with safety in mind," stated Pai. However, she did not provide further details on whether fully public sharing would be offered, or how long the posts would remain visible, as per The Verge.
Instagram's history with map features
The development of this maps feature was first noticed in February under the name "Friend Map." Recently, images of the feature in use have started to emerge publicly. Pai did not disclose where the facility is currently being tested. This is not Instagram's first foray into map features. In 2012, it launched a photo feature that placed all user images on a map but discontinued it four years later due to low usage.
