Instagram Maps: what you need to know

Instagram’s latest Maps feature has garnered concern from users for good reason. A messy rollout combined with reports of location-sharing glitches has people wondering: is my location being broadcasted without my consent?

How it works

Instagram Maps is opt-in — you have to turn it on to share your location and decide who can see it (Close Friends, all mutual followers, a custom list, or no one). You can also fine-tune your settings by blocking specific people, hiding your location in certain places, or turning sharing off entirely. When enabled, your location updates in real time whenever you open Instagram or return to it after it’s been running in the background.

For supervised teen accounts, parents can decide if location sharing is allowed, receive alerts when it’s turned on, and see who it’s shared with.

The bottom line: your data just got more visible

The roll out of Maps is yet another example of how platforms can change underneath us and expose our data in new ways. Sure, anyone could dig through your profile to find location tags on posts, but aggregating them on a map changes the dynamic. Information that was once scattered and hard to piece together has become more discoverable, and far more invasive.

How to share your location safely on IG and beyond

Turn off location services
Disabling location services in your device settings prevents Instagram from activating live location sharing even if the app changes its defaults later. Device-level controls act as a hard stop on live tracking and can be applied to any of the platforms you use.

• On iOS: Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Instagram → set to Never.
• On Android: Open Settings, search for Location, find Instagram under app permissions, and set to Not allowed.

Turning off location sharing doesn’t mean losing access to Maps. You can still explore location-tagged posts, stories, and reels from friends and creators, and manually tag locations when you post. Instagram may also suggest locations based on geotag data on your photos.

Use manual or delayed location tagging
If you want to share a location, wait until after you’ve left before tagging it in a post or story. Most platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook, allow manual tagging without granting GPS access. Be mindful of posting from frequently visited places, as these can reveal patterns in your routine.

Review your followers and Close Friends list
Before you share, check that your audience is who you think it is… and that you trust them. Regularly review your followers, remove people you don’t recognize, and consider using Close Friends for location posts.

Replace overly precise tags with general pins
Instead of tagging a specific café or building, choose a neighborhood or city. This adds context without revealing your exact spot.

Audit past posts for location data
Past location tags stay visible on Maps unless you remove them. Reviewing and removing older tags helps prevent someone from building a timeline of your movements. The same applies to check-ins, reviews, and other location data across the social platforms you use.

Automate your safety

Social platforms are always rolling out new features and shifting their defaults, making it a full-time job to keep up. Block Party gives you peace of mind by tracking changes across your accounts so you don’t have to.

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