An Instagram spokesperson confirmed on Monday that the company is working on a “Friend Map” feature. Similar to Snapchat’s Snap Map, the opt-in feature would allow users to see their friends’ locations in real time. According to the company, the feature is an internal prototype and is not being tested externally. The feature was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who often discovers social media features in development ahead of their official launch.
How Will Instagram’s Friend Map Work?
Screenshots shared show users can choose who can see their location like followers or a close friends list. A “Ghost Mode” lets you hide your last location. Users can leave short “Notes” on the map for others to see like events or restaurants.
This comes as Instagram enhances its map to let users explore local places and categories. It was developed after Google said young users often find new spots through Instagram and TikTok versus Google Maps.
Why Is Instagram Working on This Feature?
By copying Snapchat’s popular Snap Map, Instagram hopes to keep users engaging more and migrating from competitors. It could also attract fans of the now-closed app Zenly that Snap purchased.
As testing continues internally, only time will tell if Instagram launches Friend Map to let you discover what your connections are up to from anywhere. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting new social mapping potential!
