Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram, has introduced a series of new features aimed at making it easier for users to connect and share with their friends. These updates focus on improving content sharing, personal interaction, and location features, further strengthening Instagram’s role as a social connection platform.
One of the main additions is a repost feature, allowing users to share public Reels and feed posts with their own followers. When someone reposts a piece of content, it will now appear both in their followers’ main feeds and in a new, dedicated “Reposts” tab on the user’s profile. This helps users highlight content they enjoy, while also giving credit to the original creator. This could help creators reach new audiences as their content spreads through the reposting feature.
To add a more personal touch, users can include notes when reposting. These notes appear as a small thought bubble during the sharing process, allowing the user to express why they’re sharing something or what they think about it.
Instagram is also introducing a new map feature that lets users share their location with selected friends. This feature is completely optional and gives users full control over who can see where they are. People can choose to share their location with their mutual followers, only Close Friends, select individuals, or no one at all. The location-sharing feature is part of Meta’s broader efforts to help friends stay connected in a more personal and trusted way.
To protect younger users, Meta has added parental supervision controls. If a teenager begins using the location-sharing feature, parents who have supervision tools enabled will be notified. They can also choose to turn the feature off for their teen’s account. The location map feature will launch first in the United States, with plans to expand globally in the near future.
Another update is the “Friends” tab in the Reels section. This tab shows users what content their friends have recently interacted with, including what they’ve liked, commented on, reposted, or created. This feature, which started rolling out earlier in the year, is now available to users worldwide.
The map can be accessed from the top of the direct message (DM) inbox and shows not only friends’ shared locations but also location-tagged content. This includes Reels, Stories, and feed posts from followed accounts. These posts will be visible on the map for 24 hours after being posted and can also display notes from mutual followers.
Altogether, these new features show Instagram’s shift toward strengthening private, friend-focused experiences on the platform. By combining social sharing with smart controls and a stronger sense of community, Meta is hoping to make Instagram a more meaningful space for users to interact, both online and in real life.