Instagram is developing a Snap Map clone.
Instagram is currently working on the development of Friend Map, a feature that shares conceptual similarities with Snap Map, deployed by its competitor Snapchat since 2017. The option allows, in the same way as on the app renowned for its ephemeral content, to find out the geolocation of your contacts in real time. Any posts or stories that include a geographic location will be able to be displayed on the map, depending on your privacy settings.
The information was revealed by mobile developer and engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who is usually up to date with the company's internal news and who had already spotted an embryonic version of this Snap Map clone back in November. The development of the feature has since been confirmed by an Instagram spokesperson. For the moment, this is an internal prototype that has not yet been tested by users. At this stage, no roll-out date has been communicated by the Meta group.
How does the friend map work?
According to the screenshots released by Alessandro Paluzzi, it will be possible to filter the content you wish to share on Friends Map, as well as the contacts who can view your geographical location. The feature also features a ghost mode, which, once activated, hides your last location recorded by the app. "Your location will be end-to-end encrypted," adds the social network on the option's presentation page.
In parallel, Instagram is developing an option dedicated to notes on the friend map. This will offer the possibility "to share what's happening wherever you are" via a brief 60-character message that will be displayed on the map, as the screenshot shows. A process that is therefore similar to that of a classic Note, which is currently only displayed at the top of the messaging system.
Instagram keeps working on "Friend Map": your friends on a map.
ℹ️ Your location is end-to-end encrypted.
Let's see how it works. 👇 https://t.co/iBeR0nec61 pic.twitter.com/5dxTZN0OUB
Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) February 24, 2024