Instagram’s new feature that shows users’ current locations is prompting some users to worry if their location will suddenly be shared on the platform.
Meta announced the rollout of several new features on Instagram Aug. 6, including a map to show where U.S. users are active while using the app.
However, users have the option to turn off location sharing “at any time,” Meta said in a release.
While location services already existed on the app through the tagging option on posts and stories, some social media users raised concerns about the new map feature.
“What is with the obsession of having our location shared to the public??? NO THANK YOU!” one person wrote on X.
Here’s what to know about the feature, including how to turn it off.
Instagram map: What to know about social media app’d new features, including reposting and map
What is Instagram map? Is your location automatically shared?
Instagram map is a new feature on the social media app that shows a user’s last active location. The feature is off unless users opt in to sharing, Meta said.
Those who do opt in can choose who to share their location with, including followers, close friends or only some selected friends. Users can choose not to share location in specific places or with specific people.
A user’s location is updated whenever they open the app or return to the app if it’s been running in the background, per Meta.
Parents who have supervision settings for their child have control over their location sharing on the map as well, according to Meta. They will receive a notification if their teen starts sharing their location.
How to turn Instagram map location sharing on and off
The Instagram map is available in the messages tab on the app. Here’s how to change your location sharing settings:
Tap messages icon at the top right of home feed.
Tap Map at the top of inbox.
Tap settings icon in the top right.
To turn off location sharing, choose “no one.”
Alternatively, to opt in to location sharing, select “friends,” “close friends” or choose select people.
Tap Done at the bottom to save changes.
On the map page, you can also see which users are sharing their location with you.
Some users say their location automatically shared
Some users have reported that their location was shared without them opting in to the feature.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, attempted to dispel theories about automatic location sharing in a post on the platform Aug. 7.
“Quick Friend Map clarification: your location will only be shared *if* you decide to share it, and if you do, it can only shared with a limited group of people you choose. To start, location sharing is *completely off*,” he wrote.
Some commenters said they experienced otherwise, claiming their own location or the location of their friends were shared without ever opting into the feature.
“It’s definitely not opt-in. I saw a bunch of friends sharing their location last night… DMd them each and none of them had turned it on,” one user wrote.
Another said, “My location was automatically shared to all my followers before the feature was even rolled out. HUGE security risk.”
Meta said in a statement to USA TODAY that the map feature is “off by default.”
“Your live location is never shared unless you choose to turn it on. If you do, only people you follow back—or a private, custom list you select—can see your location,” the statement said.
Instagram releases other new features: reposting, Reels friends tab
Other features were released with the rollout of location-sharing on Instagram.
Users can now repost others’ public feed posts and video Reels to their own followers. Reposts are visible user feeds as well as a separate reposting tab on the user’s profile, according to Meta.
There is also a new “Friends” tab on Instagram Reels, which allows users to see “public content your friends have interacted with, or recommendations from Blends you’ve started, and easily start conversations about them,” according to Meta.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to turn on and disable Instagram map, new location-sharing feature
