Instagram Friend Map Has Arrived: How to Use It with Privacy

In a major update released in August 2025, Instagram has officially introduced the brand-new Friend Map - a dynamic way to stay connected with your friends in real time. While most users seem to concern about the privacy, the good news is that Instagram Friend Map is completely opt-in, meaning it's turned off by default. And it's you to get to decide whether you want to use it and exactly who can see your location.

In this guide, we will introduce how to share location on Instagram and the privacy settings you'll want to master before diving in.

Part 1. What Is the New Instagram Friend Map? Key Features

At its heart, the Instagram Friend Map is a tool that lets you share your real-time location with specific friends you choose. Designed to make hanging out with friends easier, this new feature is currently available on both Android and iPhone.

👀 Who Can See Your Live Location Map on Instagram?

You have full control over who sees your livel location. Instagram gives you four sharing options:

• Friends: Only friends who follow each other can see your location.
• Close Friends: Share your location exclusively with people you've marked as Close Friends.
• Only These Friends: Manually select the specific users who can view your location.
• No One: Keep your location completely private while allowing you to check your friend's location.

📍 What Else Appears on the Friend Map?

The map doesn't just display your live location - if you enable the feature, all tagged content will appear on your map, giving friends a fuller picture of where you've been, including the locations you've tagged in Reels, Posts, Stories, or Notes.

Of course, this has raised some privacy concerns among users. But don't worry - since the feature is off by default, you'll need to turn on both your location services and the Friend Map manually before anything is shared. Instagram has also reassured users that improvements and stronger privacy tools are on the way.

If you're familiar with Snapchat's Snap Map or Apple's Find My Friends, Instagram's Friend Map works in a very similar way - but with Instagram's own social spin.

Part 2. How to Share Location on Instagram via IG Maps

Getting started with the Instagram Map feature is simple. Instagram walks you through each choice step by step, making sure you fully understand your privacy settings before you share anything. In this part, we'll introduce the steps on how to share location on IG in detail.

Step 1 Find the Friend Map

Open your Instagram app and head to the Messages tab (the paper airplane icon at the top right of your Feed). At the top of your inbox, you'll notice a new Map tab. Tap it, and the setup process will begin.

Step 2 Turn On Friend Map

A welcome screen will appear, explaining the purpose of the Instagram Friend Map and reminding you that no one can see your location unless you choose to share it. Tap "See the Map" to continue. Instagram will then highlight the key privacy options. Just tap Next to move forward.

Step 3 Choose Who Can See Your Location Map on Instagram

This is the most important step in learning how to share location on IG. Instagram will prompt you to pick exactly who can view your live location, including the Friends, Close Friends, etc, as memtioned above.

You can always adjust these preferences later in Map Settings. Once you're ready, tap Share Location.

Step 4 Grante Phone Permissions.

For the Friend Map to work, Instagram needs permission to access your device's location. A standard system pop-up (iOS or Android) will appear - tap Continue and grant permission.

Once enabled, the map will populate with the profile pictures of the friends you've chosen to share with. You can pan, zoom, and explore the map just like any navigation app to see who's nearby.

Step 5 Invite Friends to Join the Map

To invite others, simply tap the "Add" icon at the bottom right of the map. Then, tap Request next to a user's profile to send an invitation. You can cancel your request at any time. And don't worry - if you decline someone's invitation to their map, they won't be notified.

Part 3. How to Master Your Privacy on Instagram Friend Map

While the new Instagram Friend Map is fun and convenient, privacy is always a top concern. Luckily, Instagram has built several simple yet powerful tools to help you stay in control. You can access all these settings directly from the Map Settings menu at any time.

#1. Automatically Hide Your Location at Certain Places

Don't want to share your whereabouts at specific spots? Instagram makes it easy to go off the grid at select locations - without turning off the map entirely. You can add up to three hidden places where your location won't be visible to anyone.

To set this up, open the Instagram Map interface, tap Settings > Menu (top-right) > Hide Place > Add, then drag the pin to the spot you want hidden and adjust the range size. Finally, save your settings.

You can update, edit, or delete these hidden locations whenever you like.

💡 Tip: You can also use "Hide From..." to block your location from specific people instead of whole places.

#2. Use Fuzzy Location to Protect Your Exact Whereabouts

If you're okay with sharing your general area but don't want to reveal the exact café or street corner, you can disable Precise Location on your phone. With this option, your friends may see you within a several-block radius or just somewhere in the city, instead of at a pinpointed spot.

Here's how:

• On iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Instagram, then toggle off Precise Location.
• On Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > App Permissions > Location, then toggle off Precise Location.

This way, you still appear on the Instagram map feature, but with extra privacy protection.

#3. Turn Off Live Location on Instagram

If you decide the Friend Map isn't for you, turning it off is quick and easy.

Option 1. From within Instagram

Just go to Instagram Map, tap the Settings icon, and choose "No one > Until you turn it back on" at the "Who can see your location" sections.

Option 2. From your phone settings

• On iPhone: Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Instagram, then select Never under "Allow Location Access".
• On Android: Settings > Apps > Instagram > App Permissions > Location, then choose Don't Allow.

Part 4. How to Stop Sharing Your IG Map Location without Being Detected

For users who want ultimate control over their location on Instagram Friend Map, there may be times when you don't want to reveal your real whereabouts, especially if you're forced to turn on the location map on Instagram. Whether it's for privacy reasons or simply because you'd like your pin to appear somewhere else, you have options.

Tools like TunesKit Location Changer are designed to adjust your Android or iPhone's GPS coordinates to any location in the world. You can use its "Teleport Mode" to set a static location for your profile, or even simulate movement between two or more points with the Two/Multi-Spot Movement Mode. This gives you full control over how your location appears on Instagram or other apps.

Here's how to sharing fake location map on Instagram via TunesKit Location Changer:

Step 1 Connect iPhone/Android to Computer

Download and install TunesKit Location Changer on your Windows or Mac computer. Once installed, connect your iPhone or Android device using a reliable USB cable, then launch the program.

Step 2 Change Your Device and Instagram Map Location to Elsewhere

Select the General Mode and wait for the map to load. By default, the tool opens in Teleport Mode. Simply choose a location by setting the start and end points on the map. Click Start Modifying, and your phone's GPS will instantly update to the new spot.

Part 5. FAQs on Instagram Friend Map

Part 6. Conclusion

The launch of the Instagram Friend Map marks a major step forward in connecting online friendships with real-world interactions. However, many users are still worried about the privacy. By learning how to share location on Instagram and tailoring your preferences - whether that means using hidden places, fuzzy location, or even third-party tools like TunesKit Location Changer - you can enjoy the benefits of the map without sacrificing your privacy.