Instagram rolls out Repost feature and interactive Location Map

Instagram is expanding its platform’s capabilities with the introduction of two major features aimed at deepening user engagement and social interaction. The newly launched Repost function, along with a fresh take on location sharing through an interactive map, marks a strategic shift for the platform as it looks to borrow successful ideas from competitors like Twitter and Snapchat while maintaining its own identity.

The Repost feature is perhaps the most notable update, drawing immediate comparisons to Twitter’s Retweet. It allows users to reshare public Reels and feed posts to their followers, not only appearing in their followers’ feeds but also being catalogued in a new, dedicated Reposts tab on each user’s profile. This tab functions as a curated archive of shared content, offering a quick and easy way to revisit or rediscover posts that resonated with users in the past.

What makes this feature particularly compelling is its reach potential. When someone reposts your public content, it becomes visible to their followers—even those who don't follow you—creating an opportunity for broader exposure. Instagram emphasizes this benefit, stating that Reposts give users “a new opportunity to reach more people whenever you create something worth sharing.” Each repost maintains attribution to the original creator, ensuring that proper credit is given.

Users can also personalize their reposts by adding a note. After hitting the repost icon, a “thought bubble” appears, allowing users to share their own commentary, reactions, or context with their followers. This added layer of interaction transforms the repost into more than just a reshare—it becomes part of an ongoing conversation.

In addition to Reposts, Instagram is launching an Instagram Map feature, reminiscent of Snapchat’s Snap Map. This feature allows users to voluntarily share their last active location with selected friends. The map can then be used to explore content posted by others from notable or interesting locations. Users can open the map to see posts, Reels, stories, and even notes shared by friends or creators they follow, all tied to specific geographic points.

By default, location sharing is turned off, and users retain full control over who can see their location. Instagram offers granular privacy controls: users can choose to share their location with all friends, only Close Friends, or specific individuals. They can also selectively disable location sharing in particular places or with specific people.

The location data updates automatically whenever users open the app or return to it after it’s been running in the background. Instagram has also taken into account younger users and their guardians. For accounts under parental supervision, parents will receive notifications when their teens activate location sharing. They’ll also have visibility into who their child is sharing their location with and the ability to manage their access to the map feature entirely.

Importantly, access to location-based content isn’t limited to those who share their own location. The map feature displays publicly tagged content—Reels, posts, and stories—from users you follow, as well as notes from mutual followers. All of this location-tagged content remains visible for 24 hours. The map interface is accessible at the top of the direct messages inbox. The feature is currently being rolled out in the United States, with Instagram promising broader international availability in the near future.

Rounding out the update package is the introduction of a new Friends tab in Reels. This section aggregates public content that users’ friends have liked, commented on, or otherwise interacted with, including suggestions from shared Blends. According to Instagram, this feature is intended to “help you see which reels the people you care about most are creating and engaging with.” Although Friends initially debuted earlier this year, the global rollout is now officially underway.

Together, these features demonstrate Instagram’s continued push to enhance user interaction and keep the platform socially relevant in a competitive landscape. By merging familiar ideas from other social networks with its own distinctive experience, Instagram aims to solidify its role as a central hub for sharing, discovery, and personal connection.