Highlights
- Instagram now allows users to share their real-time location in DMs.
- Also introduces 17 new sticker packs and customisable nicknames features.
- The live location feature is designed with privacy in mind.
Instagram is rolling out a live location-sharing feature making it easier for friends and family to coordinate meetups directly through the app.
Similar to Apple’s Find My Friends, this new feature allows users to share their real-time location for a set period with added privacy measures.
Apart from this, Meta has announced a few other cool features to make the experience on the app a lot more fun.
Here’s a quick round-up of all newly introduced features.
Instagram Allows Live Location Sharing
As announced by Meta in a detailed blog post, live location sharing will work through Instagram DMs.
“Spend more time together, and less time coordinating,” Meta wrote in this blog post. The feature is designed for private sharing, meaning users can only send their location individually or in group chats.
Here’s how it works:
- Location sharing is turned off by default.
- Users can share their real-time location for one hour at a time, after which sharing stops automatically.
- A visual indicator will show when a location is being shared.
Unlike Apple’s Find My, Instagram doesn’t allow continuous location sharing. Meta had previously tested a Snap Map-like feature to display friends’ locations on a map, but it hasn’t been launched yet.
New DM Features Now Available on Instagram
Along with location sharing, Instagram is introducing two fun updates for DMs: new sticker packs and customisable nicknames.
Szickers
Instagram now offers 17 new sticker packs with over 300 stickers to make chats more expressive. Users can favourite stickers for quick reuse, including those shared by friends or created using image cutouts.
Nicknames
To personalise group chats, users can now assign nicknames to themselves or friends. These nicknames appear only in private chats and don’t affect public profiles.
Here’s how users can set nicknames:
- Open the chat and tap its name at the top.
- Select “Nicknames.”
- Choose the contact and assign a nickname.
By default, only people you follow can change nicknames but this can be adjusted in settings.
With these updates, Instagram aims to make conversations more personal and planning get-togethers easier while keeping user privacy on priority.
FAQs
Q1. How does the new live location-sharing feature on Instagram work?
Answer. Live location sharing is turned off by default. Users can share their real-time location for one hour at a time, after which sharing stops automatically. A visual indicator will show when a location is being shared.
Q2. What new updates are available for Instagram DMs?
Answer. Instagram now offers 17 new sticker packs with over 300 stickers, and users can personalize group chats by assigning nicknames to themselves or friends.
Q3. How can users set nicknames in Instagram DMs?
Answer. Users can set nicknames by opening the chat, tapping its name at the top, selecting “Nicknames,” choosing the contact, and assigning a nickname. By default, only people you follow can change nicknames, but this can be adjusted in settings.
Q4. What privacy measures are included in Instagram’s live location sharing?
Answer. The feature is designed for private sharing, meaning users can only send their location individually or in group chats and the location sharing stops automatically after one hour.
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