Instagram Just Supercharged Social Sharing: Reposts, Map, and Friends Feed

Kanewebb
Aug 7
2 min read

Image Credit: Tada Images / Shutterstock

In its bold leap toward being more social and interactive, Instagram rolled out three major features designed to bring people closer - and to borrow some of the best bits from other platforms:

1. Repost Feature - Finally, a Native Reshare Option

Instagram now lets you repost public Reels and feed posts directly into your own profile. These reposts:

Appear in your followers’ feeds
Are collected neatly in a new Reposts tab on your profile
Image Credit: Meta

This moves Instagram away from the old “story-only” sharing model and closer to TikTok’s “reblog” style, giving reshared content a more prominent place.

2. Instagram Map - Snap Map, But Instagram Version

A location-sharing map, now living in your Direct Messages, lets you:

Share your last active location (only when you opt in)
View content posted from nearby events or hotspots
See friends’ locations - if they choose to share it.

This is Meta’s take on Snapchat’s popular Snap Map, but with Instagram’s spin and added privacy controls.

3. Expanded “Friends” Feed - What Your Circle Is Up To

Instagram has revamped the Friends section within the Reels tab:

Now shows content your friends have liked or commented on
Lets you reply directly via DM to posts your friends engage with
Includes privacy settings - so you can hide your own interactions or mute others’ activity.

It’s a move toward turning Instagram into a more collaborative, socially-centered platform, not just an endless feed of polished content.

Why This Matters

Feature	Why It’s a Game-Changer
Repost	Bridges the gap between passive content viewing and active sharing—without the awkward workaround
Map	Adds real-world context—see where friends are and what’s happening around you
Friends Feed	Refocuses attention on your social network, improving engagement and discovery within your circle

That said, many users are vocal about Instagram copying features from competitors - Snapchat, TikTok, X (Twitter) - raising questions about originality.

In Summary

With the rollout of Reposts, Instagram Map, and an upgraded Friends feed, Instagram is pivoting from a passive content scroll to a more interactive, socially connected experience. Whether you call it borrowing or evolving, one thing’s clear: Instagram is leveling up its social playbook.