Instagram just dropped Instagram Map—a feature that looks a lot like Snapchat’s Snap Map—and it makes sharing your location with friends almost too easy. The catch? It’s so effortless that you might not even realize who you’re actually sharing it with unless you poke around in your settings. No wonder people are a little confused about how it all works.
If you’re already glued to Instagram and curious about where your friends have been hanging out, Instagram Map could be a fun tool to explore. But if the idea of Instagram quietly broadcasting your whereabouts freaks you out, don’t worry—you can tweak the settings to keep things under control. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to use it (and protect your privacy) right inside the app.
Let’s explore now!
How to Use Instagram Map?
To Turn On Instagram Map
To get to Instagram Map, head over to your DMs and tap the little Map icon in the row of status icons at the top. The first time you open it, Instagram will give you a quick rundown of how the feature shares your location and why Location Services need to be switched on for it to work. If you’re not already sharing your location, your phone will pop up a request asking if you’d like to allow it. Once you approve, you’ll land on the map itself.
Most of the screen is taken up by, you guessed it, the map, showing your current location. At the bottom, there’s a search bar you can use to look up friends or tagged spots. As you scroll around, you might see profile pictures marking where friends are, or tiny previews of posts tagged in certain places. From there, you can:
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Swipe around to see friends’ posts pinned to locations
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Use the search bar to find a friend’s whereabouts or recent tagged posts
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Tap on a friend’s profile pic to go straight to their profile, or tap a post to view it in full
At the end of the day, Instagram Map is pretty straightforward. It shows you where friends are (or where they’ve been) and organizes posts by location. The only tricky part? Making sure you’re comfortable with who can see your location.
To Turn Off Instagram Map
Sharing your location on Instagram Map is completely opt-in; nothing goes public unless you decide to share it. By default, your live location won’t show up. What will appear, though, are any posts you’ve tagged with a location when uploading to your Stories or your grid.
When it comes to Instagram Map, you get four options for who can see your location:
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Friends – people you follow back
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Close Friends – your existing Close Friends list
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Only these friends – specific people you select
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No one – keeps your live location hidden (though posts with tagged locations will still show up)
If you want to disable location sharing on Instagram Map, or tweak who can see it, just do this:
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Open the Instagram app.
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Tap the DMs icon in the top-right corner.
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Tap the Map icon.
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Hit the Location Settings gear in the top-right corner.
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Select “No one” to turn off location sharing completely.
Want to share with a smaller circle instead? Just repeat the steps above and pick either Friends, Close Friends, or Only these friends. That way, you control exactly who gets to see your location.
How to Never Share Certain Locations on Instagram Map
Want even more control over what shows up on Instagram Map? Instagram lets you create a list of “Hidden Places”—specific spots that will never appear on the map while you’re there. It’s a handy way to keep private locations, like your home or workplace, off-limits.
To add or manage Hidden Places, just open the Map feature and follow these steps:
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Tap the Location Settings gear in the top-right corner.
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In the settings menu, tap the three-dot menu in the corner.
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Select Hide Places.
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Drop a pin on the map where you want to hide, then adjust the radius with the slider.
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Give the place a name, then tap Done.
And that’s it. You’ve locked that location down. No matter what, it won’t show up on Instagram Map while you’re there.