Instagram Borrows Another Feature From WhatsApp: You Can Share Your Location In DMs Now, Here's How It Works

The live location feature has a built-in expiration, automatically disabling after one hour, preventing indefinite tracking.

The location that you send cannot be forwarded to other chats, adding an extra layer of security.

Source : Unsplash/Mariia Shalabaieva

Instagram keeps experimenting with new features to give the best to its users and sometimes it also borrows features from another Meta-owned platform, i.e., WhatsApp. Instagram seems to have done it again by borrowing a feature that many of us might be using on WhatsApp often. The US-based social media platform has announced that Instagram users can now share live locations with each other within a direct message window. 

The latest Instagram update introduces a feature allowing users to share various types of location data directly within chats. Users can now send their live location, a pinned location, or a location found via search to their contacts. Instagram clarified that live location sharing is strictly limited to private messages, either in one-on-one conversations or within group chats, ensuring enhanced privacy.

The live location feature has a built-in expiration, automatically disabling after one hour, preventing indefinite tracking. It also cannot be forwarded to other chats, adding an extra layer of security. Furthermore, users maintain full control over this feature and can stop sharing their live location at any time if they choose to do so. This functionality offers both convenience and a focus on safeguarding user privacy.

Instagram New Location Sharing Feature: How To Use

• Open Instagram and then open the chat inbox of the person you want to share your location with
• Click on the '+' button at the bottom of conversation
• Click on 'Location' option
• Click on 'Share your location'
• Your current location will be shared in the chat as a message
• Click on View location below your message to see a map with your live location and the duration of sharing that remains
• You can stop sharing your location by simply clicking on 'Stop sharing location'
• If you wish to share a pinned location or a location from search then you can click on the drop pin option or 'Find a Place' option from the Location menu