Instagram rolls out reposts, maps, and friends tab

Instagram has launched a series of new features designed to foster user connections and respond to complaints that the app has moved too far away from its core function of content sharing between friends and family.

“We want Instagram to be a place not only where we support creativity but one where you connect with the people you care about most,” Instagram Head Adam Mosseri said in a video announcing the features.

Taking a leaf from TikTok’s playbook, the Instagram repost feature allows users to repost Reels and posts from public accounts, significantly broadening reach capability. Reposts were launched alongside a new friend location-sharing map feature and an expanded Friends Tab in Reels.

Read on to find out what the new features mean for your influencer campaigns… and why creators love Instagram reposts but are wary of Maps.

Instagram repost brings reach, credit, and authentic sharing

The Instagram repost feature allows users to share public Reels and feed posts directly into their feed—without cumbersome workarounds. Reposted content appears in a dedicated “Reposts” tab on the user’s profile and always credits the original creator. Instagram says this helps content spread even to those who don’t follow the creator.

For creators, this offers amplified exposure, consistent attribution, and seamless sharing—with the option to add a personal note bubble to give context or personality.

“[Reposts are] a way of giving more credit back to the original creators because we know that people already download and re-upload content on Instagram,” Adam Mosseri said.

The repost Instagram feature was immediately welcomed by creators as one that would not only enhance reach, but also reward original and authentic content.

Influencer marketers should be just as excited, because each time creator content is reshared, additional reach and engagement statistics will be credited to the creator, not the reposter’s account.

Instagram reposts are set to boost influencer campaign ROI by enhancing visibility while reinforcing trust through social proof.

Instagram Friends Map ignites concerns, Meta responds

The Instagram Friends Map, now rolling out in the US and soon in the UK, France, and wider EU, lets users share the last location of their recent content when the app is open, with close friends or a custom list of followers.

The feature is off by default and must be actively enabled. Users can explore geo-tagged content such as Reels, Stories, and Notes tied to locations for up to 24 hours—even if they don’t share their own location.

For influencer marketers, the feature—modelled on Snapchat’s Snap Map—could allow for more precise KOL selection for location-specific events and campaigns.

However, critics expressed immediate privacy concerns, especially for minors and vulnerable users, with lawmakers in the US calling on Meta to disable the feature.

Creators also voiced fears that the Instagram Map could empower internet trolls and stalkers to take their activity offline.

In response, Adam Mosseri stressed that the feature demands explicit, double opt-in consent and does not enable automatic live location sharing. Meta also confirmed that parents or guardians for supervised teen accounts will receive notifications if location sharing is activated, and have the power to disable it.