Instagram expands Map feature to India, adds new indicators for location sharing

Instagram is expanding its interactive Map feature to India while introducing clearer controls to help users understand when their location is being shared. The update follows initial confusion after the feature launched in the United States and Canada in August.

When the Map first rolled out, social media posts went viral warning users to disable location sharing, mistakenly claiming it was turned on by default. Instagram head Adam Mosseri quickly clarified at the time that users’ locations are only visible if they actively choose to share them.

To reinforce this, Instagram is now adding more prominent indicators to show location-sharing status. A new label will appear at the top of the Map, letting users see at a glance whether their location is being shared or if device location is switched off. Another indicator under a user’s profile photo in the Notes tray within the DMs page will state when location sharing is disabled.

The company is also addressing another common misunderstanding. Many users believed that tagging a location in posts meant revealing their live location on the Map because their profile photos appeared above the content. Instagram has now removed these profile pictures to make it clear that location tags only represent where content was posted, not where users currently are.

In addition, Instagram is introducing an educational reminder that explains how location tags on Stories, Reels, and posts appear on the Map. To make this even clearer, users will now see a preview of how their content will appear on the Map before publishing.

Instagram said the Map feature is designed to make it easier for friends to coordinate meetups and explore posts shared from specific places. It also allows users to browse location-based content shared or liked by friends and creators, even if they choose not to share their own location.