Instagram Spotted Testing a Feature to Let Users See Friends’ Locations

Instagram is reportedly engaged on a characteristic that may let customers see the final lively location of their pals on a map. The characteristic is alleged to be known as Buddy Map, and it seems to be just like Snap Map. As per a leak, Instagram may quickly add a world map-like interface the place customers will be capable to see others everywhere in the map based mostly on the placement shared by them. Customers also can put themselves on the map by creating posts with location data.

Cellular developer Alessandro Paluzzi leaked particulars about this characteristic on February 24 on X (previously often known as Twitter). Sharing a number of screenshots of Buddy Map, he stated, “Instagram retains engaged on “Buddy map”: your folks, on a map.” If true, this shall be a brand new interface for the social media app, and it’d even be used as a brand new solution to uncover folks and accounts close to a consumer’s location.

Primarily based on the pictures, it seems that Buddy Map will open up the world map, the place the chums of a consumer could possibly be seen (in the event that they share their location information). The screenshots point out customers may even be capable to depart notes on the map. This might seem just like how the Notes characteristic presently exhibits up within the Direct Message part. If the leak is to be believed, customers may have as many as three totally different locations to make standing updates together with Tales, Notes, and Notes on Map. “Discover a new excuse to share what’s occurring wherever you might be,” the message on the screenshot acknowledged.

Different potential options of Buddy Map embody selecting which pals get to see the shared location, end-to-end encryption of location information, and a straightforward technique of including posts to the map simply by including location data in them. One screenshot additionally confirmed granular controls supplied by Instagram the place a consumer can management who sees the final lively location by choosing between Ghost Mode (no one sees it), Followers you observe again, and Shut Buddies. No different particulars of this characteristic are identified at this second.

Paluzzi additionally reshared an outdated put up from October 2023 the place a brand new Tales icon with the textual content Close by will be seen. The tipster acknowledged that this may be associated to the Buddy Map characteristic. Whereas particulars stay unknown, it could possibly be that any close by consumer’s posts for the Buddy Map can immediately be seen there.