Instagram launches reposts and copies Snap Maps idea

In an effort to make Instagram more social and personalized, Meta has announced two new features – Instagram Map and the ability to repost friends’ posts directly to the feed. These updates respond to popular tools on Snapchat and TikTok and signal a shift in the platform’s direction: from a focus on video content to strengthening friend-to-friend interaction.

Instagram Map allows users to share their location – but only with consent, and not in real-time. The location updates only when the user opens the app. This makes the feature less intrusive than Snapchat’s Snap Map, which shows real-time location tracking.

Users can see where their friends have been active, view stories and posts shared from those places, and even mark favorite locations. The goal is to create a stronger sense of "shared life" online.

Another key update is the ability to repost friends’ posts directly into the main feed – not just to Stories. This helps increase the visibility of friends' content and introduces a new layer of interaction, similar to retweets on X (formerly Twitter) or reposts on TikTok.

Instagram began testing this feature last year, and it is now gradually rolling out to a wider audience. The aim is to reduce the “loneliness” of the feed, which is currently dominated by algorithmic recommendations rather than real social connections.

Despite the new features, some users have raised privacy concerns – especially regarding the map. Social media is already full of tips on how to turn off location sharing or restrict visibility to certain people.

Meta insists that safety and user control remain a top priority: users decide who can see their activity and when.