Instagram Is Auto-Sharing Your Live Location: How to Stop It & Protect Your Privacy [2025]

Part 1. Instagram Shares Location: How It Works

Instagram has recently launched a new Friends Map feature similar to Snapchat. Check your DMs, and you'll see this new ma p feature. 🗺️ Here, users can share their exact location or view the exact location of friends on the live map. You can choose to share your location on IG with:

• Mutual followers
• Close friends
• Specific accounts

You can also hide your precise location on IG from selected people or turn on invisible mode.

Instagram's Live Location: Handy Tool or Privacy Risk?

Instagram's new live location feature has people talking - and not all for good reasons. Its map can automatically share your PRECISE location. Imagine being able to share exactly where you are with friends when you're meeting up. Sounds useful, right? But here's why some folks are hitting the pause button.

Why Some Users Are Nervous

Picture this: You share your location to help a friend find you at a concert. But could others see it too? That's what's keeping some users up at night.

Real concerns people are talking about:

• That ex who keeps checking your profile might see where you hang out
• Strangers could piece together your daily routines
• In extreme cases, it might even help stalkers

One mom posted: "I love that my daughter can share her location when she's out, but I worry who else might see it."

How It Actually Works

Think of it like sharing your live GPS pin for a limited time:

• Send Live Location via DMs: You can share your live location through direct messages on Instagram.
• For Individual and Group Chats: This feature works for both one-on-one chats and group conversations.
• Default is Off: The live location sharing is disabled by default.
• Choose Who Sees It: You get to decide who can see your location, similar to how you choose who sees your Instagram Stories.
• Automatic Shutoff: The sharing automatically stops after 24 hour.
• Stop Sharing Anytime: You can manually stop sharing your location with just one tap.

Unlike Snapchat's map that shows everyone, Instagram keeps it private between you and whoever you choose.

The Bigger Picture

Here's something most people don't realize - even if you never use this friend map feature, Instagram may still collects location data from your posts and searches. That coffee shop you tagged last week? That's in their records.

Privacy pro tip:

• Check your location settings monthly
• Think twice before sharing your exact spot
• Remember - nothing online is ever truly temporary

The bottom line? This tool can be great for meeting up safely, but like any social media feature, it's all about using it wisely. Maybe share that you're at the park, but not which exact bench!

How to Stop Sharing Live Location on Instagram

If you don't want to use this feature, you can also follow these steps to completely prohibit Instagram from sharing your location:

• Enter the DMs of the Instagram app.
• Choose to the map icon.
• Turn on the Invisible Mode to hide your location.

Part 2. How to Change Location on Instagram: Spoofing GPS

Multiple studies confirm that over 60% of social media users accidentally reveal locations through photo metadata or Wi-Fi data, even with privacy settings enabled. The new friend map feature on Instagram raises the greatest concern about the exposure of precise locations, especially for the youth user group with weaker safety awareness. Additionally, many users wish to keep their location private for personal or professional reasons. Here are some Privacy protection suggestions:

• ✅Completely turn off this map feature in account settings
• ✅Turn on the Invisible Mode in Friend Map
• ✅Check the list where you shared your live location
• ✅Use third-party tools to change IG location

Tool to Change Location on Instagram: Dr.Fone App - Change Location (Android)

Dr.Fone App is a tool capable of changing your GPS location on Instagram.

Dr.Fone App - Change Location (Android)

Change Your Phone's GPS Location Instantly with This Powerful Tool!

• Ideal for gaming, dates, tracking, and resource gathering.
• Click on any spot on the map to change your location.
• Easily save your favorite spots.
• No VPN required.

4,542,041 people have downloaded it

Step-by-Step Guide for Using Dr.Fone App - Change Location

01of 04Download and install Dr.Fone app on your Android

02of 04Accessing the Change Location Tool

03of 04Input the fake location you want to use (e.g., Disney Land), or tap the location on the map.

04of 04Click Move, and your location will update instantly.

Case Study: Travel Blogger's Experience

A travel blogger successfully used Dr.Fone app to "visit" 10 different countries in a single day without getting banned from Instagram.

Part 3. How to Share Location on Instagram

How to Share Location on IG Posts

To share a location on an Instagram post:

• Create a new post and tap on "Tag Location," which is now located under the caption field.
• You can either use the AI suggestions or manually search for the desired location.

Pro Tip: It's advisable to avoid using precise locations (e.g., "23 Main St") and instead opt for broader tags like "Brooklyn."

How to Send Live Location on Instagram

If you want to send your live location via Instagram DMs:

• Open a DM conversation.
• Tap on the location icon (📍).
• Select the Users to Share Live Location.

Safety Check: Recipients will see a red "Live" badge indicating that you are sharing your live location. Make sure to disable it after meeting up with others to protect your privacy.

How to Add Location to Stories

Adding location to your Instagram Stories is a straightforward process:

• Capture a photo/video for your Story.
• Tap the location sticker icon
• Select from trending tags (e.g., #NYCWeekend)

Note: While location tags may increase visibility, Instagram hasn't released official performance data. For privacy, consider using neighborhood-level tags instead of exact addresses.

Part 4. How to Hide Your Location on Instagram

1. Nuclear Option: Disable All Location Services

• For iPhone Users: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and turn off location services globally.
• For Android Users: Navigate to Settings > Location and select the "Device Only" mode.

2. Delete Shadow Tags

• Go to Settings > Activity Log.
• Use the filter option to look for "Location Tags."
• Delete any hidden location tags that appear.

3. Opt Out of "Smart Locations"

Go to Settings > Privacy > Location and toggle off the "AI Suggestions" option.

Conclusion

Instagram's newest map tool in 2025 is powerful but can also be quite invasive. To ensure your privacy and safety:

🎯 Turn off the location sharing feature on Instagram if you don't want to use it.

🎯 Ensure that the IG followers you share your precise location with are those you completely trust.

🎯 Avoid sharing your live location with more than 10 people at a time.

If you need to fake your location like a professional, consider getting Dr.Fone App - Change Location.