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Washington: Meta announced that Instagram is adding optional live location sharing within direct DM chats.
The feature allows users to share their live locations with friends during conversations for up to one hour.
To take advantage of the feature, the "+" button can be clicked in the right corner below the screen, then select the location, and besides, a specific location can be installed on the map to coordinate arrival times or locate places in crowded events, such as outdoor events.
Live location can only be shared privately in DMs, either in a 1:1 or group chat, will expire after 1 hour, and is off by default. When sharing, only those in the specific chat can see your location and your location can't be forwarded to other chats.
Instagram says that there will also be a prominent indicator at the top of your chat to ensure you don't forget that you're sharing your live location.
"You can stop sharing your location any time. Remember to always be mindful of your privacy and only share your location with people you know in real life," it said.
Besides the location sharing feature, Instagram offers 17 new sticker packs with more than 300 stickers, which can be shared in DMs.
The platform added nicknames, which allow users to select aliases for themselves and their friends in conversations, where titles can be assigned by clicking on the conversation name at the top, then selecting "Nicknames" and selecting the desired username to change.
Nicknames appear only in conversations, and do not affect the general username that appears in the app.
The company confirmed that the direct site sharing feature is currently available in some countries only, with expectations that it will soon be available in all countries to reach all users.
