Blog
What’s New
on Instagram in 2025?
Instagram has rolled out three standout features in 2025
aimed at making the app feel more social,
Instagram has rolled out three standout features in 2025 aimed at making the app feel more social, authentic, and engaging. These are:
Reposts – Easily share what you love
Instagram Map – Discover and share your location
Friends Tab in Reels – See what your network is watching
Let’s explore each one and why they matter especially if you’re a social media marketing agency or provide Social Media Services in Dubai.
1. Reposts: Share Fresh Content with Credit
What It Does:
Instagram now supports native reposting. You can tap a repost icon on any public Reel or feed post, optionally add a note, and share it directly to your profile. It will live in a new “Reposts” tab and show up in your followers’ feeds, all with credit automatically given to the original creator
Why It Matters:
– Encourages organic content amplification and community sharing.
– Creators gain extra exposure even to audiences outside their network.
– Brands and agencies can curate user-generated content (UGC) effortlessly.
Pitch for Neo Digital Hub:
As a social media marketing agency, you can leverage reposts to highlight brand advocates, customer testimonials, or local community posts. Especially in Dubai’s vibrant market, reposting customer content like snapshots from events or local hotspots can boost authenticity, foster trust, and engage audiences.
2. Instagram Map: Share & Explore in Real Time
What It Does:
Instagram Map is a location‑sharing and discovery tool found at the top of your DMs. It’s off by default, and users must opt in to share their real-time location but only when the app is open. You choose who sees your location (Friends, Close Friends, a custom list, or no one), and parents supervising teen accounts get notified if location sharing is activated.
In addition to sharing your own activity, you can explore public Reels, Stories, Posts, and Notes tagged with locations visible for 24 hours on the map.
Why It Matters:
– Adds a hyper-local flavor to content discovery.
– Great for event promotion, local spot features, or city exploration.
– Visual way for users to engage with what’s happening around them.
Potential Concerns:
Privacy critics have raised concerns, calling the feature reminiscent of Snap Map and warning of unintended exposure, especially for creators and public figures. Some users claim it was enabled without consent, sparking backlash and safety-focused conversations.
If you’re offering Social Media Services in Dubai, the Map feature can be a goldmine when used wisely. You can guide clients like restaurants, event venues, or boutiques to encourage subscribers to tag location-based posts, increasing visibility in local discovery. Just make sure to pair this with clear privacy disclaimers, so users feel safe opting in.
3. Reels Made Social with Friends Tab
What It Does:
The new Friends tab at the top of Reels shows content your friends have liked, commented on, reposted, or created. You can switch between the standard Reels feed and this more customized feed instantly.
Why It Matters:
– Makes content discovery feel more intimate and relatable.
– Sparks real conversation content from trusted circles can inspire DMs or engagement.
– Encourages creators to produce content that resonates within personal networks.
This feature is a powerful ally for social media marketing in Dubai. By encouraging followers to like or comment on campaign Reels, you can ignite interest within shared circles. Promote interactive content like polls or behind-the-scenes spots to get traction through personal networks.
Privacy : Controls Are Key
Across all 2025 updates, Instagram emphasizes user control:
– Reposts only work for public content.
– The map is strictly opt‑in, with settings for audience scope.
– Friends Tab gives users control over what others see of their activity
Still, concerns remain especially around the Map so it’s important to prioritize transparent, user-first messaging when integrating these features into campaigns.
Wrap Up for Your Blog
These 2025 updates transform Instagram into a more social, grounded, and interactive platform. As a social media marketing agency or provider of Social Media Services in Dubai, integrating Reposts, Instagram Map, and the Friends Tab can elevate campaigns making them more organic, local, and user-driven. Just keep privacy at the forefront, educate your audience, and you’ll turn Instagram’s new features into powerful tools.