Can’t find Instagram’s location setting? Discover how to share your live or pinned location in Instagram chats in 2025 with this step-by-step guide.
Instagram is always adding new ways to connect, and sharing your location in a chat is a fantastic tool to stay in touch, plan meetups, or let a friend know exactly where you are.
In this guide, we’re zeroing in on how to share your location on Instagram in chats in 2025. We cover both live and pinned location sharing with step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting tips, and essential privacy considerations.
What is Sharing Your Location in Instagram Chats?
Sharing your location in an Instagram chat means sending a map reference via your messaging window. This feature allows you to send either a real-time, live location or a pinned spot as a message. You might use it to:
- Let a friend know where you are in real time.
- Drop a pin to share a specific meeting point.
- Easily get directions directly from the chat by tapping on the location message.
Using location sharing enhances conversations by making it simple to coordinate meetups and provide additional context for your chats.
How to Share Live Location in Instagram Chats
Instagram offers an option to share your real-time location directly within a chat. However, note that this feature is not available to everyone. Here’s how you can share your live location:
Step-by-Step Guide for Live Location Sharing
- Open an Existing or New Chat: Launch Instagram and navigate to your Direct Messages. Open a conversation where you want to share your location.
- Tap the Add Icon: At the bottom of the conversation, tap the “Add” (or “+”) icon.
- Select “Location”: From the menu, choose the Location option.
- Share Your Live Location:
- Tap Share your location at the bottom of the screen.
- Remember, the live location will be available for only 1 hour.
- Once shared, your real-time location appears as a message.
- To view your live location on a larger map, tap View location below your message.
- Stop Sharing Anytime:
If you wish to discontinue the live update before the hour is up, tap Stop sharing location. Otherwise, the location will automatically expire after one hour.
If your Instagram location services are off, you won’t be able to share a location in a chat. Learn more about your location privacy settings in the next section.
By sharing your live location, you enable both you and the recipient to see real-time updates. This can be especially useful for coordinating during events, travel, or when waiting for someone.
How to Share a Pinned Location in Instagram Chats
Sometimes you may want to share a specific location without sharing your real-time updates. In such cases, using the “pinned location” feature in Instagram chats is ideal.
Steps for Sharing a Pinned Location
- Open the Chat and Tap Add: In an existing or new conversation, tap the Add icon at the bottom.
- Access the Location Sharing Feature: Select Location from the options provided.
- Drop a Pin:
- Tap the location icon on the right to drop a pin at your current location.
- You can also tap and hold on the map to move the pin to a specific spot you want to share.
- Send the Pinned Location: After you’re satisfied with the pin’s placement, tap Send pinned location.
- The location will be delivered as a message in the chat, and you can remove it at any time by tapping and holding the message, then selecting Unsend message.
- View and Navigate:
- Underneath the message, tap View to see a larger map.
- For directions, tap Get directions, which will launch your device’s maps app.
Pinned location sharing is perfect for static locations such as meeting spots, restaurants, or landmarks.
Device-Specific Considerations (Android & iPhone)
Instagram’s ability to share location is tied to your device’s location settings. Here’s what you need to know:
Important Notice:
This feature currently isn’t available to everyone. You can share a location as a message with others in existing or new Instagram chats. The location you share can be your live location, a pinned location, or a location you find using search. Note: if your Instagram location services are off, you won’t be able to share a location in a chat. Learn more about your location privacy.
For Both Android and iPhone Users:
- Enable Location Services: Before attempting to share a location, ensure that location services are turned on for Instagram:
- On iPhone:
- Leave the Instagram app and go to your iPhone’s Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security, then Location Services.
- Scroll down and tap Instagram and select While Using the App.
- On Android:
- Open your device’s Settings and look for Location.
- Make sure it’s turned on and that Instagram has permission to access your location.
- On iPhone:
- Share in Chat: With location services active, follow the steps above to share a live or pinned location in your chat.
- Notifications: When you share a location in a chat, recipients get a push notification. This ensures they see the shared location promptly.
Privacy & Safety Considerations
Privacy & Safety Considerations
Sharing your location on Instagram comes with built-in privacy protections. Live locations are only visible for up to 1 hour and can be stopped anytime. Only people in the chat at the time of sharing can view it—new participants won’t see previously shared locations.
To use this feature, you must have location services enabled for Instagram.
You can adjust this in your device settings—on iPhone, for example, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Instagram.
Teen users can only share their location with adults they follow or other teens, adding an extra layer of safety. When a location is shared, the chat participants receive a push notification, and you can manage those alerts in Instagram’s settings.
For more details, check Instagram’s Privacy Policy.
FAQs: Sharing Location in Instagram Chats
Why can’t I share my location in a chat?
The most common reason is that your location services might be turned off for Instagram. Always check your device settings to ensure location access is enabled.
Can I add a location after sending a chat message?
No, location sharing in Instagram chats is initiated at the time of sending the message. However, you can resend if you missed a spot.
How do I know if my live location is still active?
Within the chat, tap View location to see a larger map with a timer showing the duration remaining for your live location share.
What happens if I stop sharing my location?
If you tap Stop sharing location, your current live location will immediately disappear from the chat message. For pinned locations, you can remove the message entirely by unsending it.
Final Thoughts
Sharing your location directly in Instagram chats is a powerful feature designed to bring you closer to your friends and acquaintances. Whether you use live location sharing for real-time updates or send a pinned location to designate a meeting spot, this guide has walked you through the process in detail.
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