TL;DR (read this if you skim everything)
Instagram has a new “Maps” feature that can pin your posts to an exact road. Quiet rollout. Big risk.
Van lifers, solo travellers, and families: this can expose your home, workshop, or park-up in real time.
Do this now:
1) Set Instagram Maps/location sharing to “No one.” Re-check often.
2) On your phone, deny location access for Instagram (and Facebook).
3) Don’t post from home or camp spots until after you’ve left. Avoid exterior clues.
Instagram’s latest feature “Maps.” could put vanlife types and people in general at risk if not used properly by exposing your location in realtime.
This shiny new “Maps” thing quietly pins your posts to an exact road on a map. Not just a venue. Not “the pub down the road.” Your exact road. Your driveway. Your lay-by. Your secret camp spot you swore you’d never share.
What changed — and why it matters
Back in the day, tagging a venue was a deliberate choice. You’d pick a pub, park, or city — job done.
The Friend Map update, which began rolling out in August 2025, works differently. It uses metadata from your phone or camera to attach a pin even when you don’t manually tag anything.
Officially, it’s meant to “help you connect with friends nearby.” In reality, it quietly creates a map of your movements.
| Then | Now |
|---|---|
| Manual tags (e.g., “The Fox & Hound”) | Auto-map pins from photo metadata |
| Shown on your profile post | Shown on a live map in DMs |
| Only if you choose | Can appear automatically unless disabled |
So what actually is this thing?
Meta says Friend Map lets you share your last active location with a small group of friends — and insists it’s off by default. That’s true… technically. But users are already reporting the feature appearing without any clear opt-in.
It lives inside the DMs tab, under the globe icon. There you’ll see posts from friends plotted on a map — plus your own, if sharing’s on.
TechCrunch reports that Instagram had to tweak the interface because people thought it was broadcasting their live location. Meanwhile, privacy experts (like Proton) call it “a stalker’s dream.”
It’s drawn attention from U.S. senators and 37 state attorneys general, who warned Meta that the feature “jeopardises user safety,” especially for women and younger users.
A real-world scare
When I tested it, I spotted a post from another creator — nothing sinister, just a clean shot of his van workshop interior. Yet the new map pinned that photo bang on his road. Not the village. Not the town. The road.
That’s the danger. You don’t need to share an address for the internet to find you anymore.
If you’re posting from your driveway — congratulations, you’ve just introduced your home to the internet.
If you’re wild camping solo, you’ve practically sent out party invites to your park-up.
Who actually wanted this?
Honestly — who wakes up and thinks, “Instagram needs a digital version of leaving your front door open”?
Most of us follow hundreds of people we barely know. Some are lovely. Some are bots with teeth.
Combine that with a map showing your last location and you’ve basically built a find-my-stranger app.
Who’s most at risk
- Van lifers & stealth campers: Your “quiet little lay-by” becomes a beacon — and probably won’t stay quiet for long.
- Solo travellers: Sharing a sunset is one thing. Broadcasting your sleeping spot is another.
- Families & home-base vanlifers: One “new headliner” reel can reveal your kid’s bedroom window.
- Travelling creators / remote workers: When your office is wherever you park, an innocent workbench post can drop a pin on your current postcode.
- Smaller creators: You feel like you know your followers. You don’t. Not all of them.
What Meta says vs. what actually happens
| What Meta says | What actually happens |
|---|---|
| “Location sharing helps friends meet up.” | Many users didn’t realise they’d enabled it. |
| “It’s off by default.” | Updates can reintroduce map modes or reset preferences. |
| “You control who sees it.” | The settings are buried and confusing to find. |
How to lock this down (Instagram + your phone)
Take two minutes — seriously.
Meta claims Friend Map is off by default, but enough people have found it active that it’s worth checking for yourself.
On Instagram
- Tap the globe icon in your DMs.
- Look for sharing controls or settings.
- Set sharing to “No one.”
- If options like 3 hours, 24 hours, or Until you’re back appear, pick “No one” or the least permissive choice.
- Recheck after app updates. Meta loves to move buttons when no one’s looking.
On iPhone
- Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Instagram → Never
- Do the same for Facebook and Meta Business Suite.
- Optional: Settings → System Services → Significant Locations → Off
On Android
- Go to Settings → Location → App permissions → Instagram → Don’t allow
- Repeat for Meta apps.
- Optional: disable Use precise location if available.
Bonus: your camera
Photos often store GPS data (EXIF) automatically.
- iPhone: Settings → Privacy → Camera → Never / Ask Next Time
- Android: Camera → Settings → Location tags → Off
Posting hygiene for van folk (aka: don’t broadcast your bed)
- Don’t post in real time from home or a park-up — share later. Take your pics on a Monday, post on a Wednesday
- Avoid exterior clues (street signs, house numbers, murals). You should be doing this on your videos as well!
- Delay reels until you’ve moved on.
- Use Close Friends for sensitive stuff.
- Audit your followers every few months.
- Keep app updates on your radar — new features = new risks.
But doesn’t tagging venues help small businesses?
Of course. I love shouting out good cafés that don’t judge muddy boots.
Two options:
- Tag general locations after you’ve left (“Peak District” is plenty).
- Or, if you must tag the exact spot, do it later — not while your van’s outside.
The sneaky gotcha: “temporary sharing”
Instagram sometimes defaults to 3-hour or 24-hour sharing. It sounds safe — but “temporary” is still “on.” And “on” means traceable.
Turn it off. Then check again tomorrow.
Platform responsibility (short rant, promise)
Even TechCrunch said Instagram had to fix this because people thought they were broadcasting their live location.
If journalists can’t tell, what chance has your nan got?
Default should be off. Consent should be explicit. And while we’re at it, give us a big red “no location ever” button with a skull on it. Sorted.
TL;DR — the quick fix list
- Set Instagram Friend Map / Maps to “No one.”
- Deny Instagram & Facebook location access at the device level.
- Disable GPS tagging in your camera.
- Post after you’ve left.
- Remove exterior clues in photos or reels.
- Recheck your settings every update.
How this changes your vanlife posting rhythm
You don’t need to go off-grid. Just tweak the habits:
- Capture now, publish later.
- Share the story, not the coordinates.
- Save exact park-up names for real friends — preferably off-platform.
If you run a channel or small business
- Create a content delay buffer. Film today, post two days later.
- Use scheduled posts so you’re never revealing your live position.
- Keep BTS shots interior-only — the story still works without the street sign cameo.
What about old posts?
If you’ve ever posted from your home base, scroll back. Remove any precise tags or archive those posts. The safest move? Block location access at the device level going forward.
Final Thought
This isn’t my usual content, but I’d rather be the yet another YouTuber or social media type who’s jumping on the bandwagon to let you know of the risks than say nothing at all.
Take two minutes. Turn off Maps. Kill location access. Post after you’ve left.
Keep your home address — and your peace of mind — to yourself.
Stay safe out there. And may your park-ups be quiet, your coffee hot, and your coordinates gloriously boring to the internet.
