Instagram has officially introduced new features aimed at enhancing user interaction — including a Repost function and location sharing.
These additions are part of the platform’s efforts to improve content discovery and friend connectivity.
Instagram Repost Feature: Share with a Note
The Repost feature allows users to share public reels and feed posts, similar to Twitter’s Retweet. When you repost content, it appears in your followers’ feeds and is also saved in a dedicated Reposts tab on your profile for easy access.
Reposts credit the original creator, and Instagram highlights this as a way to help users reach new audiences, even if the reposting person’s followers don’t already follow the original poster. Users can also add a personal note to any repost using the on-screen “thought bubble” after tapping the repost icon.
Instagram Map: Share Your Location with Friends
Instagram is also launching a new Map feature, inspired by Snapchat. This allows users to share their last active location with selected friends. The feature is off by default, and users can customize visibility settings — sharing with all friends, Close Friends, or specific people only. You can also exclude locations or individuals.
Location updates occur when the Instagram app is opened or reactivated from the background. Parents supervising teen accounts will receive alerts if location sharing is enabled, with full control over who teens share their location with.
Discover Location-Tagged Content
Regardless of your own sharing settings, the Instagram Map allows you to explore reels, posts, stories, and notes from mutual followers who’ve tagged their location — all visible for 24 hours. This content is accessible via the map icon at the top of your DM inbox. The feature is now rolling out in the US, with global expansion coming soon.
New Friends Tab in Reels
Instagram has also launched a new Friends tab in Reels, showing public content your friends interact with or content from your Blends. This global rollout helps users keep up with the reels their closest friends are enjoying or creating.