Latest news with #FriendsTab
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Instagram rolls out new location sharing, reels features; security concerns raised
Instagram has launched three new major features — Repost, Instagram Map, and the Friends tab — for its users. The Repost feature will help users share others' content with your own followers and friends. The feature will give credit to the original poster. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Instagram Map The 'Instagram Map' feature is reminiscent of a similar feature on Snapchat. With this option, one can share their last active location with a chosen group of friends. The user can see their locations and content they've posted from interesting places. Also, the feature is designed with safety as a priority — parents of supervised teen accounts will be notified if their child turns on location sharing. "Share locations with friends and see what's happening around you on the Instagram map. And if you're a parent with supervision set up for your teen, you have control over whether they can share their location, and who they're sharing with," said Instagram. When the app rolled out the Map feature, it caused a wave of confusion among users who were worried that their locations would be visible to all their followers. Some users have since been shocked to discover that their location was being shared, viral posts have shown. "Mine was turned on and my home address was showing for all of my followers to see," Instagram user Lindsey Bell wrote in reply to a warning posted by "Bachelor" reality television personality Kelley Flanagan to her 300,000 TikTok followers. "Turned it off immediately once I knew but had me feeling absolutely sick about it." In a TikTok video, Flanagan called Instagram's new location sharing feature "dangerous" and gave step-by-step instructions on how to make sure it is turned off. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri fired off a post on Meta-owned Threads stressing that Instagram location sharing is off by default, meaning users need to opt in for it to be active. "Quick Friend Map clarification, your location will only be shared if you decide to share it, and if you do, it can only be shared with a limited group of people you choose," Mosseri wrote. "To start, location sharing is completely off." The feature was added as a way for friends to better connect with one another, sharing posts from "cool spots," Instagram said in a blog post. Users can be selective regarding who they share locations with, and can turn it off whenever they wish, according to Instagram. Friends tab The Friends tab within Reels helps users see what their friends have liked, commented on, or recommended via Blends. Instagram shared these updates through an official blog post, accompanied by a reel from platform chief Adam Mosseri, where he opened up about the new features in detail. All three features are available in the UAE as of this week. According to Meta, the new features are meant to make the app more community focused, and help people connect with their friends.
CNET
06-08-2025
- CNET
Instagram Adds New Features Including Reposts and Maps
Instagram has launched new features aimed at further connecting users with their online contacts. One involves sharing public feed posts and reels, another shares locations with others on an Instagram map, and a new Friends tab shows what content a user's contacts have liked or commented on. For reposts, users will be able to share public reels and feed posts from other users. The original poster will be credited and those reshares will appear in the sharer's profile in a new tab. Posts and reels will now include a reshare icon when they're available to share. Instagram says creators will be able to reach more people since those posts will be recommended to others' followers. Users must enable the new map feature to start sharing their last active location. They can set who can see their location and can also choose not to share their location when they're in specific places, or have their location available to specific users. Location sharing can be disabled at any time, Instagram says. Reels, posts and stories can be viewed through the map. Also, a new Friends tab at the top of Reels shows public content from contacts. This feature has been available previously, but is now being expanded globally. Users can opt out of having their content displayed in the tab with options to hide likes, comments and reposts. They can also mute likes, comments and reposts from accounts they follow.
TechCrunch
06-08-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Instagram takes on Snapchat with new ‘Instagram Map'
Instagram is rolling out Instagram Map, a new feature that lets users share their most recent active location with others and discover location-based content. The Meta-owned social network is also launching reposts, and making its 'Friends' tab in Reels available globally. With its new map feature, Instagram is copying yet another popular feature from Snapchat, after cloning the app's core Stories functionality back in 2016. Instagram is coming for Snap Map's crown, a feature that recently surpassed 400 million monthly active users and remains one of the app's core offerings. Instagram notes that location sharing is off by default on Instagram Map, and a user's location only updates when they open the app, meaning it doesn't provide real-time location updates. Snap Map, on the other hand, allows users to choose whether their location is updated only when they open the app or in real time. It's worth noting that Instagram does offer real-time location sharing via DMs (direct messages). However, unlike Apple's Find My and Snap Map, which let you share your location with others indefinitely, Instagram only lets users do so for up to one hour. Image Credits:Instagram Instagram says the new map feature will make it easier for friends to coordinate and link up for hangouts. It also lets users explore location-based content that their friends and favorite creators have shared or engaged with. For example, if your friend attends a nearby music festival and posts a story while there, it will appear on the map. Similarly, if a creator posts a reel about a new restaurant in your city, you'll be able to discover it on Instagram Map. Regardless of whether you choose to share your location, you can use the map to explore location-based content, Instagram says. The map also allows users to leave short messages, or 'Notes,' on the map for others to see. Instagram Notes are currently the short messages that appear at the top of your direct messaging feed, but with the launch of Instagram Map, users can now post these short updates on the map. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise on August 7. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Although Instagram is certainly taking on Snapchat with this new feature, it also has the opportunity to appeal to people who were fans of Zenly, a social map app that Snap acquired and then shut down in 2023. The new map feature is launching in the United States starting Wednesday, with broader global availability coming soon. Users can find the Instagram Map at the top of their DM inbox. The launch doesn't come as a surprise, as Instagram was spotted developing the map feature last year. Image Credits:Instagram As for the new 'Reposts' feature, Instagram is taking a page out of TikTok's book while also creating its own version of the popular 'retweet' function from Twitter (now X). This feature lets Instagram users repost public reels and feed posts. These reposts may show up in their friends' feeds and will also be displayed in a new 'Reposts' tab on their profile. Instagram says the new feature gives users a way to share their interests with others and also offers creators the opportunity to reach a wider audience. To repost a reel or post, users tap the repost icon. Users can also choose to add a note to the repost by typing into the thought bubble that appears on screen and pressing save. Regarding the new 'Friends' tab in Reels, Instagram launched it in the United States earlier this year and is now making it available globally. The tab lets you see public reels that your friends have liked, commented on, reposted, and created. For users who want to browse and interact with content privately, Instagram is rolling out the ability to opt out of having content you've engaged with shown in the friends tab. Users can hide their likes, comments, and reposts from the tab. Additionally, they can choose to mute likes, comments, and reposts from specific people they follow.
