Instagram Tipped to Be Developing a ‘Friend Map’ Feature for Location Tracking

The Friend Map feature on Instagram is set to offer users a novel way to engage with their friends’ activities by presenting their last active locations on a map interface. This move appears to echo the functionality of Snap Map, a feature well-received on Snapchat. With Friend Map, Instagram users will potentially have access to a world map-style layout, enabling them to visualize the geographic distribution of their friends based on the locations they have shared. Moreover, individuals can actively participate by contributing to the map through their posts, which include location tags.

Leaked screenshots of the Friend Map feature, shared by mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi, suggest that Instagram is actively developing this location-centric addition to its platform.

Paluzzi’s insights, posted on X, indicate that users can expect an interface that vividly displays the geographical whereabouts of their friends. Such a feature, if implemented, could not only enrich user experiences but also open up new avenues for social interaction and content discovery. By leveraging location data, Instagram may empower its community to explore nearby activities, events, and even connect with individuals sharing similar interests in their vicinity.

While the exact rollout timeline and feature specifics remain undisclosed by Instagram, the leaked details hint at a potential paradigm shift in how users interact with the platform. Friend Map has the potential to offer a more immersive and dynamic user experience, allowing individuals to stay connected with their friends in real-time and discover new content relevant to their surroundings. As Instagram continues to innovate and evolve, features like Friend Map could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of social networking and digital engagement.

Based on the images, it appears that Friend Map will open up the world map, where the friends of a user could be visible (if they share their location data). The screenshots indicate users will also be able to leave notes on the map. This could appear similar to how the Notes feature currently shows up in the Direct Message section. If the leak is to be believed, users could have as many as three different places to make status updates including Stories, Notes, and Notes on Map. “Find a new excuse to share what’s happening wherever you are,” the message on the screenshot stated.

Other possible features of Friend Map include choosing which friends get to see the shared location, end-to-end encryption of location data, and an easy method of adding posts to the map just by adding location info in them. One screenshot also showed granular controls offered by Instagram where a user can control who sees the last active location by picking between Ghost Mode (nobody sees it), Followers you follow back, and Close Friends. No other details of this feature are known at this moment.

Paluzzi also reshared an old post from October 2023 where a new Stories icon with the text Nearby can be seen. The tipster stated that this could also be related to the Friend Map feature. While details remain unknown, it could be that any nearby user’s posts for the Friend Map can directly be viewed there.