Instagram now shows your real-time location to friends—here's how to disable the new map if you don't want them to see it.

Instagram has just launched a feature that's starting to attract attention among social media users: it's now possible to share your location in real time with friends within the app. The new geolocation system, initially available in the United States, was designed to display a person's location on an interactive map, provided they have given prior permission.

The tool resembles Snapchat's popular Snap Map and is being rolled out as part of a broader Instagram update. It includes new options for reposting other users' content and a "Friends" tab within Reels, which displays recent interactions with public posts.

The map appears at the top of the Direct Messages tab and allows you to share your last active location with selected friends. Unlike traditional geolocation, which only marks a city or area when posting a photo, this new feature allows others to see the exact location of the user on the map.

Location updates occur in two scenarios: when the app is open, or if it's been running in the background and is reopened. That is, if someone keeps the app open or uses it again after a while, their authorized contacts will be able to see a fairly precise location on the map.

In addition to showing your location, the map also lets you view content from friends and favorite creators as long as they've tagged a location in their posts, whether in your feed, Reels, or Stories. This content remains visible on the map for 24 hours.

Instagram has said that its location-sharing controls are designed to be flexible. Users can specifically choose which contacts they want to share their location with , as well as restrict it to certain times or locations.

Locations aren't automatically shared with all followers. The option is only activated if the user chooses to share them with selected people through the feature's privacy controls.

If you don't want other people to see your location on the new Instagram map, you can easily disable this feature from within the app . The social network has included specific controls to allow you to decide who you share your real-time location with and when.

To adjust this setting, you must go to the Direct Messages tab . At the top of the screen, you will find the map icon. Tapping it will display location-related options. There, you can choose to share your location with selected contacts or, if you prefer, disable it completely by selecting "Don't share" or "Turn off location," depending on the language you have set to the app.

No. Instagram has not enabled real-time location sharing by default. It's up to the user to decide whether to enable it and select who they want to share their location with. Therefore, there's no obligation or risk of this information being shared without prior consent.

However, it's important to keep in mind that, like any location-based feature, the use of this tool depends on the permissions granted by the user in their phone's operating system settings. If you haven't given Instagram access to your real-time location, the app won't be able to display it, even if the new feature is available on your account.

So far, Instagram has only confirmed the launch of the real-time map in the United States. However, features like the Friends tab in Reels are already available globally, so the map is expected to arrive in Colombia in the coming weeks.

For now, if you notice changes at the top of your messages or see the new map icon, you can review your location permissions and adjust your settings if you want to maintain your privacy.