Instagram rolls out reposts, interactive map, & social reels discovery tools

Instagram has introduced a set of new features aimed at facilitating content sharing and enhancing interaction among users. These include Reposts, The Map and the ‘Friends’ tab in Reels.

First off, the platform now allows users to repost public Reels and feed posts. These reposts appear in followers’ feeds and in a dedicated ‘Reposts’ tab on the user’s profile. Original content creators are credited when their content is reposted, and reposts may be recommended to audiences beyond the creator's existing followers.

Users can also add optional notes to reposted content by typing into a thought bubble before saving.

A new Instagram Map feature has been launched, following Snapchat’s map feature, allowing users to view location-tagged content from friends and creators. Users can opt in to share their last active location with selected friends. The feature includes several privacy settings, such as:

• Choosing specific groups for sharing: followers who are also followed back, Close Friends, select individuals, or no one.
• Disabling location sharing in particular locations or with specific users.
• Automatically updating location when the app is opened or returns from the background.
• Parental controls for supervised teen accounts, including notifications when location sharing is enabled and visibility into who the location is being shared with.

Even without opting into location sharing, users can use the map to browse tagged content, including stories, posts, and reels from users they follow. Stories and notes appear on the map for up to 24 hours after being posted.

The Map is accessible from the top of the Direct Messages inbox and is currently available in the U.S., with plans for wider international rollout.

Lastly, the platform has globally launched the ‘Friends’ tab in the Reels section, which displays public content that friends have interacted with, as well as recommendations from user-created Blends. The tab is designed to help users discover reels that their mutual connections are engaging with.

New privacy controls are also being introduced in this tab, including the ability to hide users’ likes and comments from appearing and mute activity indicators from specific users.

The ‘Friends’ tab can be accessed at the top of the Reels page, and users can switch back to the main reels feed by selecting the ‘Reels’ tab.