Planning to meet at a concert or festival is about to get a little easier. Instagram adds one of Snapchat’s best features so you can share your live location via DM.
The social media site, which is owned by Meta, explained in a blog post published Monday how this new feature works.
Location sharing is disabled by default. When you decide to share your location via an individual DM or group chat, recipients can see your location live for an hour. If you’re concerned about your privacy, Instagram takes this into account. Even if someone forwards the message to another person, only the person you originally sent the message to can see where you are.
Pick up with Snapchat, WhatsApp and Google Maps
An indicator appears at the top of your chat to remind you that you’re sharing your location, and you can stop sharing it at any time.
WhatsApp, Meta’s other messaging app, has had this feature for a while now, but it lets you share your location for up to eight hours. Google Maps offers a similar feature for Android, as does Apple for its devices.
Instagram also announced 17 new sticker packs and the ability to customize nicknames in a DM. Instagram clarifies that these custom names only appear in the DM and will not appear elsewhere on the site.
“In some countries”
You can change your nickname at any time. You can also decide who can give you a nickname. To change your name in a DM, tap the chat name at the top of the conversation, then tap “Nicknames.”
Instagram indicated that these features are available “in certain countries”, without naming them.
The new features are visible to some US users, suggesting a gradual rollout.
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