How To Change Location on Instagram (Easy Guide)

If you want to learn how to change location on Instagram, you’re in the right place. Whether you tagged the wrong place, want to optimize a post for reach, or just want your content to be accurate, knowing how to change the location on Instagram is genuinely useful.

This guide covers how to change your location on IG for feed posts, how to adjust the location sticker color on Stories, and how to turn off location access entirely if privacy is your priority.

Why Location Tags Matter on Instagram

Before getting into how to edit location on Instagram, it helps to understand why the tag is worth using in the first place:

1. Posts tagged with a location tend to get more engagement, since they show up in that location’s own feed.
2. Viewers understand context instantly — where a photo was taken, which store you mean, which event you’re at.
3. Posts become discoverable to anyone browsing that location’s page.
4. Businesses gain credibility and can turn local searches into foot traffic.
5. Creators get an extra discovery surface beyond hashtags and the algorithmic feed.

How to Change the Location Tag on an Instagram Post

If you added the wrong location — or no location at all — you can fix it after the fact, but only on regular feed posts. Here’s how to change your IG location on a post you’ve already shared:

Step-by-step: how do I change my location on Instagram?

1. Go to your profile and open the post (photo or video).
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Edit.
4. Tap the location field. If one is already set, you can search for a new one or tap Remove Location to clear it.
5. Search for and select the correct location.
6. Tap the checkmark or Save to confirm.

This works for both personal and business accounts. One important limitation: it only applies to feed posts. Instagram doesn’t let you edit the location tag on a Story or Reel once it’s published — for those, the only fix is to delete it and repost with the correct tag.

How to Change the Location Sticker Color on Instagram Stories

A lot of people also want to know how to change the location color on Instagram Stories — useful when the default sticker color blends into your image or clashes with your branding. Since Stories can’t have their location edited after posting, get the color right before you share.

How to change the location sticker color: step-by-step

1. Open a new Instagram Story and add your photo or video.
2. Tap the sticker icon at the top and select Location.
3. Search for and add your location.
4. Tap the location sticker itself to cycle through the preset color styles, or use the color bar at the top to pick a specific color (hold a swatch to fine-tune it, or use the color-dropper to match a color from your photo).

This makes your Stories more readable and keeps the tag from disappearing into a busy background.

If you want to improve your Story performance more broadly, how Instagram reach works is a good next read.

Why Location Tags Are Worth Using on IG Posts

1. More engagement

Posts with a location tag tend to see more interactions, because:

1. They read as more authentic — a real place, not a generic post.
2. Local users browsing that location are more likely to engage.
3. People tap the location to browse similar posts, which can loop new viewers back to yours.

If you want to track whether this is actually moving the needle for your account, Instagram’s built-in Insights tab (under your professional dashboard) shows reach and engagement per post, and Hexrate’s Instagram engagement rate calculator can help you benchmark the numbers.

2. It answers “where is this?” before anyone asks

Instead of replying to a string of “where is this?” comments, a location tag answers it upfront — making your content feel complete and a little more professional.

3. Extra traffic from location browsing

Instagram users sometimes browse posts by location page directly. Tagging a well-known spot can bring in extra views and profile visits from people who weren’t already following you.

If you want to maximize this kind of discovery, pair it with smart hashtag and tag search strategy.

How to Turn Off Location Access for Instagram on iPhone

If you’d rather Instagram not access your device location at all, here’s how to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
2. Make sure Location Services is on (so you can manage access per app).
3. Scroll down and tap Instagram.
4. Select Never to block access completely, or Ask Next Time if you’d rather approve it case by case.
5. If you want to keep general location on but hide your exact GPS position, leave access enabled and toggle off Precise Location instead.

This stops Instagram from reading your device’s GPS data — it doesn’t remove tags you’ve already added to posts, which you still edit or remove individually as shown above. If privacy is a priority for you generally, how to go incognito on Instagram covers more of the app’s privacy controls.

Mistakes to Avoid With IG Location Tags

Using an incorrect location: confuses followers and undermines trust in your content.

Letting the sticker color blend into the background: keep it high-contrast so it’s actually readable.

Skipping location entirely: consistent tagging is a small habit that compounds into better discovery over time.

Tagging sensitive private locations: avoid geotagging your home address or other places that could compromise your safety.

For more on managing who can see your activity, see how to tell if someone blocked you on Instagram.

Using Location Tags for Business Growth

Businesses can put location tags to more deliberate use:

Promote new branch openings

Add photos, the location tag, and event details ahead of an opening to build local awareness before day one.

Highlight local promotions

A promotion tagged with a location helps people find your physical store faster than a caption alone.

Build transparency and trust

A consistent, accurate location tag signals that your business is real, local, and established.

For more on building a location-based growth strategy, browse the Instagram growth strategy section of the blog.

Location-Specific Accounts for Multi-Branch Businesses

If your brand has several branches, consider:

1. Creating a separate account for each location.
2. Tailoring promotions to each branch’s local audience.
3. Using scheduling tools to keep all the accounts running without extra manual work.

You can make this easier to manage with social media management tools built for small business.

Best Practices for Changing Location on Instagram

1. Place it thoughtfully: avoid covering faces or key visuals with the sticker.
2. Use accurate, real locations: it builds trust and keeps you discoverable in the right searches.
3. Check Instagram Insights: your account’s native Insights tab shows whether tagged posts are actually outperforming untagged ones for you.
4. Keep a shortlist of your go-to locations: handy for brands or creators who tag the same handful of places repeatedly.

Should You Change a Location Tag on Instagram?

Yes — if you tagged the wrong place, it’s worth fixing. It takes a few seconds, keeps your content accurate, and avoids confusing anyone who’s using the tag to figure out where the post was taken.

Knowing how to change location on Instagram — and when you can’t, like on a published Story — keeps your content polished and saves you from having to delete and repost over a small mistake.

If you want to keep building out your Instagram strategy beyond location tags:

1. Organic growth strategies
2. See how Hexrate’s platform supports your content strategy

Manage the Rest of Your Instagram Strategy With Hexrate

Getting the small details right — like an accurate location tag — is one piece of a bigger picture. Hexrate is a full Instagram marketing platform built around five tools:

• Pulse — turns your account data into a daily action plan: what to post, what to reply to, what changed.
• Discover — a creator directory with profile audits covering follower quality, suggested rate, and profile health.
• AI Targeting — puts your content in front of relevant accounts via related accounts and hashtags, focused on reach rather than follower promises.
• Campaigns — hashtag and mention campaign tracking, a UGC vault, and reach/CPM/CPE reporting.
• Reports & Media Kit — white-label reports and a public media kit at your own @username.

Explore the Hexrate platform to see how it fits into the rest of your Instagram workflow.