Instagram seems to be testing yet another feature that looks a lot like Snap Maps. This allows the platform to post text and video updates to a map based on where they were taken. The map is shared with friends, whose updates can all appear alongside each other. It is very similar to Snap Maps, which was first launched in 2017.
The difference for now looks to be that Instagram might have much more limited privacy settings. Users have to pick a “specific group of people” to share their location with, such as “Close Friends or only followers they follow back,” Christine Pai, a Meta spokesperson, told The Verge. Snapchat enables public posts to Snap Maps.
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Instagram Testing Its Own Maps Feature
Instagram’s feature is currently only available as a “small test” in select markets, Pai said. The tool is opt-in and includes controls over location sharing. “As always, we are building this feature with safety in mind,” Pai said.
The maps feature was first spotted in development in February under the name “Friend Map.” Then this week, some images of the feature in use started trickling out to the public. Pai did not talk about where the feature is currently being tested.
Instagram had a photo feature back in 2012 that placed all users’ images on a map, but the feature was made entirely private could not be shared with friends, and only included personal images. It was a nice way to check out a person’s photo collection, but the company shut it down four years later, citing low usage.
If the feature is rolled out widely, the maps feature would be a throwback to something the company has always done well; ripping off from its competitors. Stories came from Snapchat, Reels from TikTok, and Threads from Twitter. Now, it seems Snapchat is making a comeback.
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Instagram To Now Let You Share 20 Photos In One Post
Instagram might have some good news for people who love sharing memorable moments from their lives. The popular social media platform has doubled the number of photos and videos you can upload in a carousel post, as per a new report by Engadget. Yes, you read that right!
Users will now be able to upload up to 20 pieces of media in a single post, instead of the previous limit of 10. This update is rolling out globally, enabling users everywhere to showcase even more of their memories, creativity, or daily lives.
The carousel feature, which was brought to Instagram back in 2017, has always been a favorite tool for storytelling. Whether it’s a detailed outfit post, a travel diary, or just a collection of memes, the ability to put together multiple images or videos together has been a hit. But with more freedom comes a question: will people enjoy sharing more, or will it be too much for the people following them?