Trials for a new feature on Instagram that mimics Snapchat's Snap Maps have begun. With the help of this creative tool, which Snapchat first unveiled in 2017, users may post text and video updates on a map according to where they are. Users can share the map with friends so that they can see each other's updates simultaneously.
The key distinction between Instagram's version and Snap Maps lies in their privacy settings.
Christine Pai, a spokesperson for Meta (Instagram's parent company) said to The Verge, that users must choose a "specific group of people" to share their location with. This could include "Close Friends or only followers they follow back."
In contrast, Snapchat permits public posts on Snap Maps. Currently, Instagram's map feature is undergoing a "small test" in select markets. The feature is opt-in and provides controls over location sharing. "As always, we are building this feature with safety in mind," stated Pai.
However, she did not provide further details on whether fully public sharing would be offered, or how long the posts would remain visible.
The development of this map feature was first noticed in February under the name "Friend Map." Recently, images of the feature in use have started to emerge publicly.
Pai did not disclose where the facility is currently being tested. This is not Instagram's first foray into map features. In 2012, it launched a photo feature that placed all user images on a map but discontinued it four years later due to low usage.
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