Instagram adds new features, including reposting and map: What to know
Instagram users are bracing for another round of changes.
META unveiled an update for the popular social media app with new features, including "reposting" content and a location map.
"People have always come to Instagram to share what they’re up to and where they are. Now, with reposts, the map, and the 'Friends' tab in Reels, it’s easier for you and your friends to stay in touch through the content you’re enjoying on Instagram," META wrote in an Aug. 6 news release.
The new features follow Instagram's launch of new safety guardrails for teen users with direct messaging on July 23, as well as safety features on adult-run accounts featuring children. In June, the social media giant announced a summer update that allows users to reorganize the photos and videos on their profile grid.
Here's what to know about the new features:
Reposting option and tab to share content
Similar to reposting on X, Instagram users can now repost public feed posts and video reels.
Reposts will appear on friends' and followers' feeds, as well as a separate reposting tab added to users' profiles, according to META. While reposts are credited to the original poster, the content can now be shared with someone else's followers.
"This gives creators an opportunity to reach even more people," META said.
Instagram map for location sharing
Rolling out to the U.S. audience on Aug. 6, Instagram users can now opt to share their location on the Instagram Map.
This feature allows users to share their last active location with the accounts they choose and have the option to "turn it off anytime," META said. The map can also be used to explore location-based content, including venues from friends at concerts or restaurant spots showcased in an Instagram reel.
Parents with supervision controls can also oversee who their children share their location with.
"You will receive a notification if your teen starts sharing their location, giving you the opportunity to have important conversations about how to safely share with friends," META wrote. "You can decide whether your teen has access to location sharing on the map and see who your teen is sharing their location with."
New friends tab on Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels users will notice a new "Friends" tab, allowing users to see "public content your friends have interacted with, or recommendations from Blends you’ve started, and easily start conversations about them."
Users have the option to hide their likes and comments on reels so they do not appear on other people's Friends tab, as well as the option to mute activity bubbles from specific users, according to META.