How to create new location on instagram

How to Create your Own Custom Location on Instagram (4 steps)

Alexandra | May 9, 2021

Let’s create your own unique, custom Instagram location!

As you know, you can now tag a location when you schedule your Instagram posts with Preview.

A lot of you asked:

“Can I create my own custom location tag for Instagram?”

Yes you can!

I’m going to show you how to do it.

The location can be anything:

• The location of your business
• Your website (it won’t link to your site, but it’s a clever way to get your link seen by more people – and it intrigues people)
• An imaginary / fake location (like “Home Sweet Home”, “Coffee Time”)

Follow these 4 steps.

Click here to use it

Step 1. Go in your Facebook app and “Check in”

You need to set up your location tag on Facebook.

Facebook and Instagram are linked. As you may know, Instagram is owned by Facebook.

So you need to go through Facebook first to create your new location. 

• Create a post (tap on “What’s on your mind”)
• Tap on “Check in”
• Make sure your “Location” permission is turned on in your phone settings for Facebook (you can turn it off again later)

Step 2. Type the name of your new location

Type a location name exactly as you want it to appear on Instagram. Pay attention to spaces, capital letters and punctuations.

Tap “Search“.

Chances are your new “location” does not exist. Or maybe some people have already registered a location with a similar name as you – which is fine.

If you’re not fine with that, here’s a quick tip.

Quick tip:

If someone has already taken the name of your location and you want to have a unique name, you can get very creative.

For example, if “Coffee” is taken, you can try “Coffee Official”, “The Official Coffee”, “This is Your Coffee”, “Where You Feel Alive”, “The London Coffee Shop”, etc…

Use your location name for marketing purposes.

If it’s something different, people will look at it and be intrigued! Take your time to brainstorm.

Step 3. Press on the “Add” button

Once you’re happy with the location name:

• Scroll to the bottom of the screen
• Press on the “+ Add [Location your just types]”

Step 4. Go on Instagram or Preview to use your new custom location

Next time you post on Instagram or schedule a post in Preview, use your new location.

Congratulations! You’ve created your own unique custom Instagram location!

Did this trick work for you?

More tips:

• The Best Instagram Strategies to Grow your Account
• Core Instagram Content Ideas
• How to Schedule Instagram Posts with Preview

Click here to use it

How To Create a Location on Instagram

Instagram does not allow users to create custom locations on the app. To add a location to your Instagram posts, you must search through the pre-existing locations available. Luckily, there is a way to create a custom Instagram location – all you need is a Facebook account.

You can use Instagram locations to add context to your posts, to tag your business’ location, or even just to add a funny fake location to your post. Whatever your reason may be, follow these simple steps to create a new location on Instagram.

Create a Custom Location on Instagram

These are the basic steps to create a custom location on Instagram. We’ll walk you through the details of each step, but if you want to create a new location to tag on Instagram, follow these instructions:

1. 1. 1. Log in to Facebook and click “Check In”.
      2. Type in your custom location name and click “Add”.
      3. Pick a category and physical location for your new location.
      4. Go to Instagram and use your new location.

There can be more steps along the way: you may need to turn on location services to check in on Facebook, and sometimes the location does not appear on Instagram right away. If you’ve tried this simplified version without success, keep reading for an in-depth breakdown of how to create a custom location on Instagram.

How To Check In On Facebook

Facebook owns Instagram, so to create a new location on Instagram you must go through Facebook. Instagram only recognizes public locations from Facebook, so you can create a location on Facebook that will then appear on Instagram as well. To create a new location on Facebook, all you have to do is check in to that location.

Turn on Location Services

To check in on Facebook, you have to have your location services turned on first. If you are not sure if your location services are turned on, try checking in – if they are off, Facebook will direct you to Location services in your settings. Follow these steps to turn on location services on Facebook:

1. 1. 1. On your Facebook mobile app, click the three vertical lines in the bottom right corner.
      2. Scroll down and click “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings”.
      3. In the “Settings” menu, scroll down to the “Privacy” heading and click “Location”.
      4. Click “Location” and you will be taken to your device settings. Click “Location” here and choose either “Always” or “While Using the App” to give Facebook permission to access your location.

Check In To Custom Location on Facebook

Once your location services are turned on, you can create a custom check in location on Facebook. Follow these steps to check in on Facebook:

1. 1. 1. On your homepage, click “Check In” under the status update box. You may have to click the “. . .“ on the browser version to see the “Check In” button.
      2. Type in your custom location as you want it to appear on Instagram. The first letter must be capitalized, and the location cannot begin with a symbol or an emoji.
      3. There may be other locations with similar names but in different locations. You can still create a new version for your geographical location, if you wish. Whether the name exists elsewhere or not, click “Add Your Location Name” at the bottom of your screen. 
      4. Choose a category for your location – it can be for your restaurant, your home, or “Just For Fun”.
      5. Search for the physical location you want your geolocation attached to. You can search by city and then choose to add more specific details like address and zip code. You can also click “I’m currently here” to simply connect to your current location.
      6. Check in to your new location to confirm its creation.

Add Your Custom Location to Your Instagram Post

Now that you’ve created your location on Facebook, you can use it on Instagram. To add your location to Instagram, create a post, and under the area where you type in your caption, click “Add Location”. Type in your new location, and it should appear. Click your location and then share your post.

What If My Location Does Not Appear in an Instagram Location Search?

Some people have had trouble creating locations that appear on Instagram. They may appear and then disappear or never appear at all, even if you’ve checked in on Facebook. If you’re having trouble getting your custom location to work, try these troubleshooting tips:

• Create the location near you. If you made the physical location in a totally different country or area, Facebook and Instagram may not recognize it as valid. Create locations within a few minutes of your actual location for a better chance of it working.
• Try checking in again. Sometimes it takes a few check ins, or some time, for Facebook to recognize the location and transfer that information to Instagram.
• Choose a real, accurate category. The “Just for fun” option is innocent enough, but often those locations are rejected. Pick a real category for your location if applicable.
• Create a Facebook post using your location. Some users have reported that checking in along with a status update of some sort led to their location appearing on Instagram.
• Give it time. Sometimes it takes some time for Instagram’s locations to update. If an hour passes and you still can’t find the location you checked into on Facebook, then try some of these other tips.

Link Your Facebook Business Page Locations to Instagram

If you run a Facebook business page, you can create a location for your business that will also connect to Instagram. If you have multiple locations, you can add each of those on Facebook, creating multiple options on Instagram as well. The steps for checking in are essentially the same, but you must have access to manage the business page.  

1. 1. 1. Log into your business’ Facebook account, or an account with administrative access to your business page.
      2. Go to “Business Manager”.
      3. Click the three vertical lines in the top left corner to access the dropdown menu.
      4. Under the “Assets” tab click “Business Locations”.
      5. If you don’t have a location already, click “Get Started” and Facebook will walk you through the steps to create your location. This process is very similar to creating a location in general.

When creating multiple business locations, Facebook creates a “main page” that manages all locations and your brand, as well as “child” pages for each location that link from the main page. Check in to these locations to use them on Instagram as well.

How To Add a Location To Your Instagram Story

To add a location to your Instagram story, the location must exist already. If you want a custom location, go through the process above to check in on Facebook first. Once your location exists on Facebook and Instagram, follow these steps to add it to your Instagram story:

1. 1. 1. Click the camera icon in the top left corner to create a story.
      2. Take or select a photo.
      3. Click the smiley face sticker button.
      4. Click the Location sticker and search for your location.
      5. Select your location, finish editing your story, and send it.

How to create a geolocation on Instagram in 5 minutes: complete instructions