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Meta announced the U.S. rollout of the Instagram Maps feature Aug. 6 that allows users to share their locations with their friends, family and followers. Here are all the details.
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Instagram has made it easier for you to find your friends.
Meta’s photo-sharing app unveiled a series of updates on Aug 6, including Instagram Maps, a customizable feature that allows users to track their friend’s whereabouts.
“You can opt in to sharing your last active location with friends you choose, and you can turn it off anytime,” the release on the Meta’s site Aug 6 read. “You can also open the map to see content your friends and favorite creators are posting from interesting or fun locations.”
And for those who would rather keep their locations private, Instagram assured users that “location sharing is off unless you opt in.”
If you choose to opt in, Instagram gives users the option to share with everyone, close friends, a curated list of followers or no one.
To activate the feature, users have to go to their DMs and look for the “Map.” Once there, tap the “Settings” icon, where they will be prompted to “Turn on location services.”
Users who opt into using the feature locations will update every time they open the app. However, those who have disclosed their location can later opt out by going into the Map settings and choosing to never share location.
Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The feature isn’t just for checking in on friends and family, according to Meta users can also use it to see tagged locations made popular by their friends and mutuals. However, the tech company has emphasized that the update is parental control friendly for younger users.
"You will receive a notification if your teen starts sharing their location, giving you the opportunity to have important conversations about how to safely share with friends," the statement read. "You can decide whether your teen has access to location sharing on the map and see who your teen is sharing their location with."
All in all, Meta promised a safe experience, noting, “No matter how you use the map, you and your friends have a new, lightweight way to connect with each other.”
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