Instagram has officially rolled out three new features that mark a clear pivot in how the platform is used. Reposts, a Snap-style Friend Map, and a new Friends tab in Reels are now available to all users, each designed to increase engagement and facilitate social discovery. While none of these updates are revolutionary on their own, together they reflect Instagram’s evolving strategy as it aims to compete more aggressively with platforms like TikTok and Snapchat.

Instagram Finally Embraces Reposts

After years of resisting the concept, Instagram has launched a native reposting option for feed posts and Reels. Until now, users relied on third-party apps or screen recordings to re-share content, as Instagram avoided anything that might discourage original content creation. That’s changed.

Reposts will now appear in a dedicated tab on your profile and in your followers’ feeds. Shared content is clearly marked with the re-poster’s profile picture and a distinct purple icon, making attribution clear. Any comments added by the user are displayed on the thumbnail preview, giving re-shared content an additional layer of context.

Instagram is positioning this as a win for creators. Reposts can now help surface their content to wider audiences via the networks of those who re-share it. If someone with a large following reposts your Reel, that content can be shown to their followers, even if they don’t follow you.

For marketers, this offers a fresh amplification mechanism. Content with high resonance could now be redistributed organically, offering added reach beyond paid or influencer efforts. Brands should consider how to encourage reposts within their communities, particularly from high-engagement followers or ambassadors.

However, this could also reshape the Instagram feed experience significantly. The mix of algorithmic recommendations, original content and now reposts could begin to mirror the feed dynamics of X or TikTok more closely.

Friend Map Sparks Privacy Debate

Next, Instagram is rolling out its Friend Map, an opt-in feature that shows where your friends are in real time and what content they’ve posted from those locations.

This feature closely mirrors Snapchat’s Snap Map and was in testing since 2023. It’s now available globally, though not without some controversy. Many users immediately raised concerns about privacy, misinterpreting the rollout as automatic location sharing. In reality, the feature is opt-in, with clear controls over who can see your location.

Users can choose between sharing their live location with a custom list, their Close Friends list, or mutual followers. You can also mute specific locations or people. If you’ve previously used Instagram’s location-tagging features, it’s possible your tagged Stories may briefly appear on the map, but only to your followers and only for 24 hours.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri took to the platform to clarify how it works. The key takeaway: location sharing is off by default and will only activate if you switch it on manually. You are always in control.

For marketers, Friend Map introduces a subtle but interesting opportunity. Location-tagged content may become more discoverable within friend networks, particularly for local businesses or events. Marketers running location-specific campaigns should pay attention to how content appears in the map experience and consider tagging posts to reach nearby audiences.

The feature also enhances social discovery. Seeing where friends are or were, and what they engaged with, could lead users to discover new destinations, events or brands in the area.

New Friends Tab Enhances Reels Discovery

Finally, Instagram has launched a new Friends tab in Reels, giving users a curated view of what content their friends are interacting with. This includes public posts they’ve liked and content recommended through shared “Blends.”

The idea builds on an earlier test in January where users were shown Reels their friends had liked. Instagram appears to have seen enough engagement to expand the concept into its own feed-style experience.

The new Friends tab adds a social layer to content discovery that Instagram has arguably lacked compared to TikTok’s more socially driven algorithm. By surfacing what people within your network are engaging with, Instagram is encouraging a more community-based discovery model.

From a brand perspective, this could be a valuable channel for organic reach. If your content is resonating with users, there’s now a stronger chance it could be shown to their friends through this feed. Encouraging engagement from followers, not just likes but thoughtful interactions, may increase your visibility in these socially curated spaces.

Instagram also offers some controls here. Users can decide what content they allow to appear in the Friends feed and mute recommendations from accounts they’re less interested in. This should help reduce fatigue and improve the quality of content surfaced.

A Clearer Vision for Instagram’s Future

These updates aren’t entirely original. All have been inspired by features from other platforms. But together, they represent a significant strategic move.

Instagram is increasingly positioning itself as a hybrid of TikTok’s discovery model and Snapchat’s social intimacy. Reposts help scale reach. Friend Map adds a layer of real-world context. The Friends tab brings relational discovery into the short-form content experience.

Meta is also responding to a long-term decline in original sharing on Instagram. Reposts lower the barrier to posting. Friend-based features make the app feel more personal again. Together, they aim to re-ignite user engagement without relying entirely on creators or influencers.

Marketers should monitor how these features impact behaviour. Expect Instagram feeds to feel more dynamic and socially driven, and prepare for a more interconnected content experience. Above all, understand that these changes shift power from creators alone to the networks that amplify them.

Content that sparks conversations and shares within communities may now have an outsized impact. That’s where smart brands should focus their attention.