To access Instagram Maps, you need to go to your Direct Messages (DM) inbox in the Instagram app. At the top of the DM inbox, there will be a map icon or a "Map" feature you can tap on. This will open Instagram Maps, where you can see locations of friends who share their location with you, view location-based Stories and Reels, and explore popular tagged locations around you.

Here's a step-by-step summary on how to access it:

• Open Instagram and go to your DM inbox.
• At the top bar in DMs, find and tap the map icon.
• If it's your first time, Instagram will guide you through location sharing options.
• You can choose who sees your location (friends, close friends, specific people, or no one).
• You will then be able to view the Instagram Map with location-based content and friends' shared locations.

Additionally, you can find the Instagram Map by tapping location tags in posts or Stories, which opens the map focused on that location.

Note that the location sharing feature is opt-in, so your location is not shared unless you actively enable it.

This Instagram Maps feature was launched in 2025 and is similar to Snapchat's Snap Map but integrated within Instagram.