Instagram goes ANOTHER step closer to be Snapchat clone! Gets its own Maps feature

Instagram has long been losing its authenticity in the pursuit of nicking Snapchat’s features and making a name of its own. We already got the Stories feature previously and now, Instagram has copied the Maps feature as well. Instagram calls it Maps and works exactly in the same way it works on Snapchat – it lets you find stories, posts, and Reels uploaded about a specific location or business. The feature has started rolling out for everyone.

Instagram says that among other things, the feature could help boost the discovery of local small businesses on Instagram by allowing people to filter the locations based on specific categories such as restaurants, cafes, and beauty salons. People can also find relevant locations on the map when searching specific hashtags. The feature was originally launched in Japan almost a year ago, and now has been globally rolled out.

Instagram Maps makes it easy to discover

“People are naturally in discovery mode when they open Instagram and they come to the platform to discover new places and businesses around them. For businesses, this discovery leads to more than just a connection point - it translates into business impact and sales. A Meta-commissioned online survey by GFK showed that 96% of the surveyed people said that they discover brands and products online. Of these, 83%, said they typically discover them on a Meta platform,” says Instagram in a press note.

With the maps, users will be able to discover popular locations and see what’s happening nearby via tagged posts, stories, and guides shared by the Instagram community.

If you are interested to try out the Maps feature, here is what you need to do.

- Discover a new place by tapping location tags in Feed or Stories content.

- Search the name of a city, neighbourhood, or place in Explore. Hashtag search is also available for local hashtags (example: #newdelhi).

- Previous stories you've posted that include a location sticker can also be viewed via map in the Stories archive.

- Browse recent stories, top posts, and relevant guides of tagged locations to learn more.

- Filter by location categories to narrow your search.

- You can also plan for later with Maps. You can save locations to a collection to revisit in the future.

-You can also share places via direct message to friends or groups.

- You can also use location tags or stickers in your content and it will appear on the map, provided your profile is public.