How to share your location on Instagram
To share your location on Instagram, open your DMs and tap Map at the top, then choose who can see you: Friends (followers you follow back), Close Friends, selected people, or no one. Reports say location sharing on Instagram Map is off by default and updates when you open the app, not continuously. To turn it off, choose no one under Settings > Story, live and location > Location sharing. For private everyday sharing with family or a partner, with arrival alerts, the easiest way is Warden (top pick).
Competitor facts as of 7 November 2026, per each vendor's own pages (linked).
Instagram added a location-sharing map in August 2025, and "how to share location on Instagram" has been a steady search since. It works differently from Find My or Google Maps: it's a social map inside your DMs. This guide explains how to share, how to turn it off, what friends see, and how it differs from tagging a location in a post. Instagram's own help pages render only in a browser for us, so the steps below rely on TechCrunch's walkthrough (8 August 2025); labels may differ slightly in your app version.
What Instagram Map is
According to TechCrunch's guide (TechCrunch):
- You open it from your DMs page: tap Map at the top.
- You can share with "your Friends (followers you follow back), your Close Friends list, select users, or no one."
- "Meta has made it clear that location sharing is off by default."
- "Your location only updates when you open the app or have it running in the background, meaning it doesn't provide continuous, real-time location updates."
How to share your location on Instagram
- Open Instagram and go to your DMs (messages).
- Tap Map at the top. The first time, you'll likely see an explanation pop-up.
- Choose who can see your location: Friends, Close Friends, selected people, or no one.
- Confirm. Instagram uses your phone's location permission, so allow it when asked (iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Instagram; Android: the app's location permission).
How to turn off location sharing on Instagram
- In the Map, choose no one.
- Or go to your profile > the settings icon at the top right > Story, live and location > Location sharing, and choose no one (TechCrunch).
- To stop Instagram using your location at all, set its location permission to Never (iPhone) or deny it (Android).
TechCrunch notes that even with sharing off, "others can still share their location with you, which means you'll be able to see them on the Map", and you'll still see location-based content there.
How to see someone's location on Instagram
Open DMs > Map. You'll see friends who chose to share with you, at their last updated location. If someone doesn't appear, they haven't shared with you, chose no one, or haven't opened the app recently.
Location tags in posts, Stories and Reels
Separate from the Map, you can tag a place when you post. That shows the place you picked, to everyone who can see the post. It's often the bigger privacy issue: a Story tagged at your gym at 7 every morning reveals a routine. TechCrunch's main advice is to reconsider posting Stories and Reels with location tags. To remove a tag, edit the post and remove the location.
Instagram Map vs real location sharing apps
| Instagram Map | Snap Map | Find My / Google Maps | Warden | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Inside DMs, social | Social map with Snaps | Dedicated sharing | Private circle |
| Updates | When you open the app or it runs in the background (TechCrunch) | Depends on permission (Snapchat) | Live while sharing | Every 30 s–3 min moving, 5–30 min still |
| Arrival alerts | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Yes, unlimited places |
| Audience | Followers you follow back, Close Friends, chosen people | Friends you choose | People you choose | Only your circle |
More on Snapchat: share location on Snapchat.
Think before sharing on a social map
- Share only with people you know offline.
- Prefer Close Friends or chosen people over all Friends.
- Remember the map shows your last updated place; if you open Instagram at home every night, that's what people see.
- Check the setting after app updates.
Warden (top pick): sharing for the people who matter, not your followers
Instagram Map is a social feature. For your partner, family or roommates, a private, dedicated app works better:
- Only people you invite with a code, and the circle owner approves, can see you.
- Each person switches sharing on themselves; sharing starts off.
- Place alerts tell the circle when someone gets home, without anyone opening an app.
- Pausing shows "Paused" to the circle.
- No ads, no data selling, no third-party trackers; data stored in the EU.
Works on iPhone and Android in one circle.
FAQ
How do I share my location on Instagram?
Open your DMs, tap Map at the top and choose who can see your location: Friends, Close Friends, selected people, or no one.
How do I turn off location sharing on Instagram?
In the Map, choose no one, or go to your profile, the settings icon, Story, live and location, then Location sharing, and choose no one.
Is Instagram location sharing on by default?
TechCrunch reports that Meta says location sharing on Instagram Map is off by default.
Does Instagram show my live location?
TechCrunch reports your location only updates when you open the app or it runs in the background, so it isn't continuous real-time tracking.
Can I see someone's location on Instagram?
Only if they share it with you on Instagram Map. Open your DMs and tap Map to see friends who share.
Can people see my location on Instagram if I didn't share it?
Not on the Map if you chose no one. But location tags you add to posts, Stories and Reels are visible to anyone who can see those posts.
Who can see my location on Instagram Map?
Only the audience you chose: followers you follow back, your Close Friends list, or specific people.
Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play