While waiting for my takeout order last night, I was looking through Instagram when I came across a friend’s post that tagged a nearby ramen restaurant The experience of seeing the restaurant’s location on the interactive Instagram Map location feature felt like discovering a secret map to hidden culinary treasures. I was able to see other tagged spots in the area and explore a whole new world of food I hadn’t known about before.
However, the same technology that makes it easier to find hidden restaurants also makes it easier for people to find you. The new Map location sharing feature from Instagram has become popular but users are expressing significant privacy worries about its usage.
Instagram Map Location Sharing Feature: Explained
A new feature that allows you to explore posts, Stories, and Reels according to their creation location is Instagram Map Location Sharing. It’s similar to how you might zoom in on a Google Map, except here you’re seeing content posted from that location.
Here’s the gist:
- Accessing it: You can tap a location tag on a post or search for a place to open the map.
- What you’ll see: Posts, Stories, and Reels from that location in a grid or map view.
- Your role: If you add a location tag to your own content, it could appear on the map for others to discover.
It’s fun to use for vacation planning, restaurant discovery, and real-time event viewing. However, it also increases the visibility of your posting habits, sometimes more than you may think.
Instagram Map Location vs Snap Map
If you’ve used Snap Map, the similarities are obvious. Both let you explore content geographically. But there’s a big difference in how they handle people.
- Snap Map is all about live, friend-based location sharing. You can see where your friends are (if they allow it), and they can see you.
- Instagram Map focuses on places, not live tracking. You’re not sharing your real-time location, but your posts and Stories with location tags can live on the map for anyone who can view them.
The subtle twist? Instagram’s content often has a longer shelf life than Snapchat’s, which means a tagged location could be visible long after you’ve left.
Instagram Map Location Sharing Feature: Privacy Concerns You Should Know
Here’s where things get tricky. Instagram Map privacy issues are about patterns and breadcrumbs, not a bright dot that indicates your current location.
If you often tag your gym, your favorite café, or your neighborhood park, someone could piece together your routines. Even if each post feels harmless, together they paint a picture of your habits.
Another layer: If your account is public, anyone not just your followers can stumble upon your posts on the map. That’s great for getting more views, but it’s also great for someone trying to figure out where you spend time.
I once tagged a coffee shop where I worked without giving it any thought. They were “nearby,” according to a message from an old acquaintance. It was not harmful, however
How to turn off Instagram Map location sharing
If you love the map for discovering spots but don’t want to be on it yourself, you’ve got options.
- Skip location tags: The simplest fix—just don’t add them to your posts or Stories.
- Limit your audience: Share tagged Stories with Close Friends instead of all followers.
- Adjust privacy settings: Set your account to private so only approved followers can see your tagged content.
- Check past posts: You can remove location tags from older posts if you don’t want them appearing on the map.
On your phone, you can also limit Instagram’s access to your device’s location entirely:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Find Instagram in your app list.
- Under Location, choose “Never” or “While Using the App.”
That way, even if you forget, Instagram can’t auto-suggest your exact location.
The bottom line for Instagram location tracking safety
If you’re careful about what you post, Instagram’s new map might be a great way to explore and share. You might mention your favorite café across town, but you wouldn’t give them a schedule of your times there. Imagine it like a conversation you have with a stranger in a coffee shop.
Today’s actionable tip: Go through your ten most recent posts. Consider if you would want a stranger to be aware of this pattern if you have labeled areas. Edit the tags right away if not.
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