Threads introduces a new location tagging feature that allows users to add locations to their posts. Some users have reported seeing the change in the Threads app, though it’s not yet available to everyone.
The feature is similar to location tagging on Instagram. When you give Threads access to your location, you’ll see a list of nearby places to tag, though you can also search for a location manually. For example, I noticed that several users have already jokingly tagged their posts as “hell”.
According to Meta’s in-app disclaimer, the company plans to use location sharing to better personalize Topics by showing “personalized content” about nearby locations. A change can help improve Threads search functionality that still often fails and makes the app a little more useful for keeping up with breaking news and other timely events.
The change may also come in handy in the future when Meta eventually replaces advertising in Threads. Mark Zuckerberg said the company plans to continue developing the service before introducing ads to the platform, but getting users’ consent to sharing locations will provide crucial information for the company’s advertising machine.
Meta didn’t immediately respond to questions about the feature, but it appears the company is still rolling it out. Location sharing showed up for me in the Threads app, but disappeared after about an hour. It doesn’t appear on the web version of Threads yet.
