Some Instagram users reported about the company sharing your precise location with followers when you tag a location in a post or story. Few of them even went viral with thousands of likes and comments. In this post, we will clear all the myths around precise location permission on social apps like Instagram on iPhone and Android.
When Is Precise Location Useful
Precise Location is helpful when specific apps need your astute location to function as expected. For example, a ride-hailing, food delivery, or maps app, may need your precise location to serve the cab, deliver your meal, or help you navigate a new location quickly. Of course, that’s why you’ll need to permit the app to access your precise location. Otherwise, you will continue to run into errors and experience delay in orders using such apps. Precise Location may sound scary, but you should be fine in select cases. Apps ask for such permission to function smoothly without glitches. Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, etc. may ask for your precise location for better curation of content. But, they won’t (at least that’s what we’d like to believe) track your location or share it with followers or friends on social media.
Does Instagram Share Your Precise Location with Followers
As mentioned above, Instagram doesn’t share your precise location with anyone, including your followers. The app requires location permission to attach your favorite place with a post or story. No one can see or track your live location from your post or story. The question begs, why does Instagram need your precise location in the first place?
Instagram requires your precise location when you want to share your accurate whereabouts in a post or story. Maybe you found a new favorite restaurant or a resort and want to share the same with your followers, friends, and family on Instagram. Thanks to precise location permission on Instagram, you can easily tag your current location with a post. You don’t need to type and search for the place manually. Overall, Instagram requires precise location permission to improve the user experience on iPhone and Android. If you are a power Instagram user and are well aware of the demerits of sharing precise locations in your posts and stories, keeping the permission enabled on your iPhone might help. On the flip side, if you are a casual Instagram user, you can read the next section to turn off the location permission.
Disable Precise Location on Instagram
Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company) isn’t known for best privacy practices. If you don’t prefer Instagram to track your location all the time, you can easily disable precise location permission on your iPhone and Android. Follow along to learn how.
iPhone
Step 1: Open Settings on iPhone. Step 2: Scroll to Privacy & Security. Step 3: Open Location Services. Step 4: Scroll to Instagram, and you have four options to choose from. Never: The app can’t access your location on your iPhone. Ask Next Time or When I Share: It’s the best option for privacy-minded folks. In your normal browsing experience, Instagram can’t access your location. When you want to share a post with a location, Instagram will ask for permission. While Using the App: Instagram can only access your location when actively using the app. Once you move Instagram to the Recents apps (Multitasking) menu, Instagram can’t access your location. Precise Location: Allows Instagram to use your specific location. With this setting off, apps can only determine your approximate location. You should select ‘Ask Next Time or When I Share’ or ‘While Using the App’ for an ideal Instagram experience.
Android
Step 1: Find the Instagram app icon from the home screen or the app drawer menu. Step 2: Long-tap on it and open the app info menu. Step 3: Select ‘Permissions’. Step 4: Open location permission. Step 5: Disable the ‘Use precise location’ toggle from the following menu. Keep the ‘Allow only while using the app’ permission for your Instagram experience.
Understand Precise Location on Instagram
In response to a viral post, Instagram clarified that it doesn’t share location details with any of the followers. The social media app uses your location when you tag places in your post, and that’s about it. Even Snapchat does the same when you use the Snap map function. Whenever you see someone creating unnecessary FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) around a precise location on Instagram or any other social app, share this post and clear the air. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
