Instagram's photo maps will soon be a thing of the past

Instagram has been adding features at a relatively quick pace, but now it's becoming clear that it also intends to remove ones that just aren't working anymore. Get ready to say goodbye to photo maps, as Instagram has confirmed that they'll soon be going the way of the Dodo. In fact, for some users, the photo maps purge has already begun.

Instagram hasn't made an official announcement about the discontinuation of photo maps, but it did confirm to Mashable that the feature is being left behind. You might be disappointed to hear as much, but considering Instagram's reason for dropping the feature, you're most likely not: Instagram says it's removing photo maps because not enough people were using it.

It sounds like geotagging won't be removed entirely, either. Users will still be able to define and search geotags within individual posts, but the map itself won't be present for much longer. If you're one of the Instagram users who actually enjoys the photo map, you'll be pleased to know that you'll be able to see your own for the time being, but the clock is ticking on that as well.

It's not very surprising to hear about Instagram pulling the plug on photo maps, especially if there wasn't a significant number of users actually getting any mileage out of it. Instagram is working to put itself in a position to better compete with others like Snapchat, and superfluous features like the photo map are bound to get lost in the shuffle as the company tweaks its focus. Were you one of the folks who used photo maps, or will its absence make no difference to you?

SOURCE: Mashable