Instagram is rumored to be adding Snapchat’s popular Friends Map feature; Here’s what you need to know
According to a recent report, Instagram could soon be adding a feature similar to one of Snapchat’s popular functions. Meta’s social media platform has been introducing various new features such as group chat conversation starters, AI stickers for stories, and carousel posts. The rumored new feature, Friends Map, is said to function similarly to Snapchat’s existing feature.
Friend map on Instagram
X in the post. leaker and mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi shed some light on Instagram’s rumored Friends Map feature. It will reportedly allow Instagram users to discover what their friends are sharing on the platform. Users can only leave notes on a map that their friends can see. Anything with a location tag will also show up on the map. The feature also allows users to select the friends they want to share content with.
On Snapchat, users can use the Snap Map and see their friends’ activities based on their location and what’s happening around them. However, it is not known if Instagram’s friend map works the same way. The leaker suggested that Instagram says the user’s location will be end-to-end encrypted.
One of the in-app screenshots of the feature says: “Choose who sees your last active location. This does not affect the visibility of notes you leave on the map. You can always change this in settings. Your location will only update when you open Instagram.”
#Instagram keeps working on “Friend map”: your friends, on a map 👀
ℹ️ Your location is end-to-end encrypted
Let’s see how it works 👇 https://t.co/iBeR0nec61 pic.twitter.com/5dxTZN0OUB
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) February 24, 2024
Paluzzi first shared details of the Friends Map on Instagram in November, and it looks like the company is still working on fine-tuning the details before releasing it to beta testers and then the public. However, all information is based on unofficial sources, so it should be taken with a grain of salt until Instagram officially implements the Friends Map feature.
