Instagram is adding new features to help you connect better on the social media platform. The Meta-owned company has added the ability to repost reels and posts, a new “Friends” tab – a location-based feature it is calling Instagram Map.
Perhaps, the most controversial of the new features is Instagram Map. This is another feature the company is ripping straight out of the Snapchat playbook after cloning several of its key features over the years. In your DMs tab, there is now a new Map section that appears on top of your messages. When you tap on Map, you will see your friends’ last active location and the content they have chosen to share in those places. Instagram says location sharing is off by default, but you can always opt in to share your location with whoever you want on the Map.

You can customize your location sharing experience by deciding to only share with friends (followers you follow back), Close Friends, selected friends, or no one at all. You also have the option to share your location in specific places only with specific people. Once you opt in for the location sharing, Instagram says that your area is updated whenever you open the app or return to the app if it’s been running in the background. Parents or guardians who are supervising their teen will have the power to control their sharing experience. Whether you choose to opt in or not for location sharing, Instagram says that you can still use the Map to explore location-based content.
Another feature being added is a reposts feature and a dedicated tab for reposts. You can now repost public reels and feed posts by tapping on a newly added repost icon. “Reposts will be recommended to your friends’ and followers’ feeds, and they’ll also be in a separate tab on your profile, so you can always go back to revisit your reposts,” Instagram says. Repost will also help creators gain more reach because they are credited to the original poster.
Lastly, there is a new “Friends” tab in Reels where you can see public content your friends have interacted with. This is basically like the activity tab Instagram used to have many years ago. You will be able to control what is shown in the Friends tab.
The new features are rolling out globally to all users.

