Instagram Adds TikTok-Style Reposts and a Snap Map Clone in Latest Update

Instagram is rolling out several major new features, including the ability to repost content directly to the main feed and an opt-in location map for private messages, in a clear move to adopt popular functionalities from its biggest rivals, TikTok and Snapchat. The update also includes enhanced privacy controls for a controversial feature that shows friends’ interactions with Reels.

The changes, which begin rolling out today, represent a significant shift in how users can share and discover content on the platform, moving it further away from its original focus on personal photo sharing.

Reposts Come to the Main Feed

In a move that directly mirrors a core feature of TikTok, Instagram will now allow users to repost public Reels and grid posts from other accounts. These reposts will be collected in a new, dedicated tab on a user’s profile and will also be distributed in the feeds of their followers.

This is a major change from the platform’s long-standing model, where the primary way to share another user’s post was through an Instagram Story. The new “reblog” style functionality could dramatically alter the nature of the main feed, potentially intensifying the shift towards algorithm-driven, viral content over posts from followed accounts.

A Snap Map Clone for Instagram DMs

Borrowing a page directly from Snapchat’s playbook, Instagram is also introducing an opt-in location map that will live within private messages. The feature, which is essentially a redesigned version of Snap Map, will show the last active location of friends who have chosen to enable it.

The map will also aggregate and display public content posted from specific locations, such as concerts or festivals, allowing users to explore what’s happening in different areas.

Updates to Controversial “Activity” Tab

Finally, Instagram is updating a feature it introduced earlier this year that shows users what Reels content their friends have liked or reposted. The feature, which was met with privacy concerns during its initial rollout in the U.S., is now being released globally but with increased user controls.

Users will now have the ability to:

• Hide their own likes and reposts from being broadcast in the activity tab.
• Mute other users’ interactions if they are not interested in seeing them.

This addresses one of the main criticisms of the feature, giving users more control over their privacy and what appears in their feed.

Will These Changes Address User Complaints?

These incremental updates touch on long-standing complaints from users and creators who feel that Instagram has lost its way. As the platform has prioritized Reels to compete with TikTok, photos from friends and family have become less visible, and many creators have complained about a drastic reduction in their ability to reach their own followers.

While new features like a location map may be compelling for some, it’s unlikely to satisfy creators and users who built their communities on a version of Instagram that was centered around a chronological, follower-based feed. For many, these changes may feel like more “bloat” on a platform that is increasingly moving away from its original, simpler function.