Instagram Introduces Live Location Sharing in DMs to Compete with Snapchat and Find My

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Instagram has launched a new feature that allows users to share their live location directly with friends via Direct Messages (DMs). This new functionality puts the Meta-owned platform in direct competition with services like Snapchat’s Snap Map and Apple’s Find My, both of which offer similar location-sharing capabilities.

The announcement of the location-sharing feature comes after Instagram had been testing it earlier in the year. Now, the feature is live in select countries, giving users an easy way to coordinate with friends or meet up in crowded spaces by sharing their real-time location.

Unlike services such as Apple’s Find My or Snapchat, which allow users to share their location for an indefinite period, Instagram’s location-sharing feature is limited to one hour. This short time frame is designed for specific situations, such as coordinating meeting times or helping friends locate each other in busy places like concerts or events. Instagram has emphasized that its goal with this feature is to make it easier for people to meet up in real-time without needing to constantly share their location.

The process of sharing your location is straightforward. You can choose to send your live location to a single person or a group chat. Once you share your location, only the people in that chat can see where you are, and your location cannot be forwarded to others. To ensure users are aware, Instagram includes an indicator at the top of the chat to show that your live location is active.

The shared location expires automatically after one hour, and unlike WhatsApp, which allows users to share their location for up to eight hours, Instagram’s time limit is designed to be more temporary and focused on short-term coordination. There is a possibility that Instagram could extend this time limit in the future, depending on user feedback and demand.

In addition to the location-sharing update, Instagram also introduced new ways to customize interactions in DMs. Users can now assign nicknames to themselves or others in direct conversations. This feature allows users to personalize chats by using inside jokes or simplifying long usernames. To create a nickname, you can tap the chat name at the top of the conversation and select “Nicknames.” From there, you can assign a nickname to any participant in the chat, and the nickname will only be visible to those in the same DM thread.

Additionally, Instagram is rolling out 17 new sticker packs, featuring over 300 unique stickers that users can send in their DMs. These stickers aim to enhance the messaging experience, offering more ways for users to express themselves through images, animations, and creative designs.

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While these new features are part of Instagram’s ongoing effort to innovate and engage its users, they also show the platform’s growing interest in integrating more real-time, interactive elements into its messaging system. The ability to share live locations and customize DM interactions brings Instagram closer to becoming a one-stop-shop for communication and social interaction, blurring the lines between messaging, location tracking, and online presence.