How to Share Location on Instagram Chats, Posts, and Stories

Whether you’re creating a post or story, or chatting, Instagram provides different options for sharing your location.

When Instagram launched in 2010, it was a simple photo-sharing app with minimal features. In 2013, Instagram introduced location tagging, and in November 2024, Instagram added live location sharing in DMs.

Since 2024, IG has been testing ​the Friend Map feature that allows users to share their real-time location with selected friends, similar to Snapchat’s Snap Map. However, this feature is not widely available to all users.​

As of now, you can tag locations in posts, stories, and live streams or share live locations with friends via direct messages. This feature is great for coordinating meetups or finding friends in crowded places.

I’ll walk you through the different methods of sharing locations on Instagram. Whether you want to send a live location, a pinned location, or an interesting place you found, these simple steps will help you do it right the first time.

First, Manage Location Settings

Before sharing your location on Instagram, you must allow location permissions for the Instagram app. Otherwise, location sharing will not work.

When you allow Instagram to access your location, you can automatically tag posts and share your whereabouts with your family, friends, and followers.

To this end, Instagram location permissions work differently on iPhone and Android.

Here’s how to allow Instagram location permissions for iPhone users:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy and Security.
2. Click Location Services.
   
3. Scroll down and tap on Instagram. Select While Using the App to grant location permissions.
   

To turn on location permissions on Android:

1. Open Settings > Locations.
2. Click App permissions.
   
3. Scroll down and find Instagram.
4. Under Location permission, click Allow only while using the app.
   

Once you’ve allowed location permissions, you can open the Instagram app to start location sharing.

How to Share Live Location on Instagram DMs

Instagram recently launched a live location feature that allows you to share live location on Instagram in a solo or group chat. Only those within the chat can see your location.

You can share a live location for an hour. The location can’t be forwarded to other chats, and you will be reminded that you’re sharing your location on top of the chat.

To share location in DMs:

1. Open Instagram and choose a conversation with a person or group you want to share a location with.
   
2. Click on the + sign and select Location.
   
3. Tap Share Your Location.
   

Instagram will show that you are sharing your location. To end the location-sharing session, tap View and Stop Sharing location.

Location sharing is off by default for minors. Teens under 16 require a parent’s permission to change Meta’s default protections. However, minors can turn on location sharing, and Instagram consistently indicates that they are sharing their location.

How to Share Location in an Instagram Post

You can tag locations in an Instagram post. Instagram offers many locations based on your device’s position on Maps and the activities and posts you engage with. When you add a location to a post, other Instagram users can discover posts tagged in the same area.

To share a location in an Instagram post:

1. Open your Instagram profile and click the + button on the top menu.
2. Choose Post from the Create options.
   
3. Select the image or video that you want to share.
4. Click Next. Edit the post and click Next.
5. Tap on Add Location.
6. Choose a location from the available options or search the place using the search bar. You can also tag people to increase your engagement rates.
7. Tap Share. This will share the post with location on your Instagram page.
   

Using location tags is great if you’re looking to inspire others to visit the same place. However, it’s not a good idea to tag a private location like your home address as it can pose a security risk.

How to Share Location in IG Stories

Instagram stories are a fun way to grow your Instagram account. When you add location, you get more exposure since your story will be found in the larger location story in the Explore feed.

The location of your story can be a landmark, a specific place, or a general area like a city or town.

To share your location on Instagram Stories:

1. Open Instagram and tap the + button under your profile picture in the main feed.
2. Take a photo or video, or select one from your phone’s library.
3. Tap on the sticker icon (it’s the small smiley face) on the top row.
   
4. Click the location sticker.
   
5. Choose a location or search for a location using the search bar. Adjust the location tag position by dragging the sticker around.
6. Tap Your Stories or Close Friends to post the story.

Why Can’t I Share My Location on Instagram?

The reasons why you can’t share your location on Instagram are listed below:

1. Location permissions for Instagram are off
   You have to give Instagram location permission to share your location on the app. Go to your phone’s settings to change your Instagram location settings.
2. Location Services are off
   When your phone’s location is off, you can’t share your location on Instagram. Ensure that the location feature is turned on before you can send a location.
3. The location is not available
   Some locations are not available on Instagram and Facebook databases. This means you can’t use them to tag a location on Instagram.
4. There are Internet connection issues
   Your phone relies on internet connectivity to transmit location data. Check to see if you have a stable internet connection. You can switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data to see which one works better.
5. Your location is outdated due to cache issues
   Instagram cache stores temporary data to help the app load faster. If location data is outdated, Instagram will not update your current location.

How to See Someone’s Shared Location on Instagram?

Instagram does not have a feature that can show you someone’s whereabouts without the person sharing it. But if they do, here’s how you can see their location on Instagram:

• They Have Tagged It
  Someone can add a location sticker to their stories. You can tap on the sticker to see their location on a map.
  If someone tags their location on a post, you can tap the location and see it on Instagram’s location page. You can also see other posts tagged in the same place.
• They Have Shared Location With You
  Instagram doesn’t directly notify you when someone shares their live or exact location with you. Just open DMs or group chat and see whether a pinned location was sent from that user.

Lifehack: Use Tracking Link to See Someone’s Location

You can see a person’s location by sending them a location tracking link using online location tracking services.

Detectico and Scannero are top-searched online location-tracking tools that let you send someone a tracking link in Instagram DMs. The point is that this link is masked for tracking without them knowing. Once the person clicks the link, you will see their location on Google Maps.

To use the Detectico link tracker:

1. Open Detectico website and create an account with a cheap $0.89 trial.
2. Click Location by Link from the buttons in the left pane.
3. Create a custom message. Detectico will add a tracking link to it.
4. Send the link on Instagram and wait for the person to click it. Once they click it, you will see their location with a 10-meter accuracy.

Try Detectico

Conclusion

Being able to share location in Instagram is incredibly useful for coordinating a meeting point, safety purposes, and increasing your exposure on the app.

Before sharing your location, ensure that you’ve allowed location permissions for Instagram. Then, you can share location in chats, posts, and stories. Remember to maintain your privacy by not sharing your personal address or places that could compromise your security.

Similarly, respect the privacy of other users while using their shared location on Instagram.