Instagram has launched new features aimed at further connecting users with their online contacts, the company announced Wednesday. One involves sharing public feed posts and reels, another shares locations with others on an Instagram map, and a new Friends tab shows what content your contacts have liked or commented on. 

For reposts, you’ll be able to share public reels and feed posts from other users. The original poster will be credited and those reshares will appear in the sharer’s profile in a new tab. Posts and reels will now include a reshare icon when they’re available to share.

Instagram says creators will be able to reach more people since those posts will be recommended to others’ followers.

You have to enable the new map feature to start sharing your last active location. You can set who can see your location and can also choose not to share your location when you’re in specific places, or have your location available to specific users.

Location sharing can be disabled at any time, Instagram says. Reels, posts and stories can be viewed through the map.

Also, a new Friends tab at the top of Reels shows public content from contacts. This feature has been available previously, but is now being expanded globally. 

You can opt out of having your content displayed in the tab with options to hide likes, comments and reposts. You can also mute likes, comments and reposts from accounts you follow.

EA’s DICE studio has blown the lid off the multiplayer for its upcoming military shooter Battlefield 6, and after an exciting first beta weekend, you can join the fray again in just a few days. Battlefield 6’s first public beta is available to everyone and will resume this weekend. It’s not too late to join in, and here’s how.

The Battlefield 6 open beta is the first chance for players to experience the game’s multiplayer before its full release on Oct. 10. While those with early access got a couple extra days to play and the first open beta weekend was a rousing success, if you didn’t get to play, don’t worry — the second weekend will kick off at 1 a.m. PT on Aug. 14 and run through Aug. 16.

Fans can visit Battlefield’s website to get info for the open beta, which just requires linking your EA account to your platform account. PC players will also have to configure their system to Secure Boot as well (see below). 

The beta will be playable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S.

When does the Battlefield 6 beta end? What are the dates and times?

• Aug. 7-8: Early access.
• Aug. 9-10: First open beta weekend available to all.
• Aug. 14-16: Second open beta weekend available to all, starting at 1 a.m. PT on Aug. 14 and closing Aug. 17 at 1 a.m. PT.

How to access the Battlefield 6 open beta

As this is an open beta, getting access is pretty easy. Simply download the Battlefield 6 beta client from your preferred platform, including the PS5, Xbox Series X and S, Steam, Epic Games Store or the EA app. 

Preloading the Battlefield 6 beta started on Aug. 4. Doing a preload means you’ll be able to jump on the beta as soon as it’s available instead of waiting for it to download on the day of access. 

Battlefield 6 open beta download links

Here are the BF6 Beta download links for each platform: 

• PSN Store
• Xbox Store
• Steam
• Epic Games Store

Battlefield 6 beta maps

EA revealed the rotation of maps for the Battlefield 6 open beta weekends. 

For the first weekend of Aug. 9-10, the maps were: 

• Liberation Peak: A large mountainous desert.
• Siege of Cairo: An urban battlefield in the heart of Egypt.
• Iberian Offensive: Tall buildings for fun times.

The second weekend of Aug. 14-17 will include the first weekend maps, plus:

• Empire State: A close-quarters NYC map.

Battlefield 6 beta game modes

Just like with the maps, each weekend will also feature certain game modes. 

The modes for the first weekend were: 

• Conquest 
• Closed Weapon Conquest 
• Domination
• King of the Hill
• Breakthrough

Then on the second weekend of the beta, it will be the previous modes along with:

• Rush
• Squad Deathmatch
• And more (DICE did not provide specifics)

PC-specific notice for Battlefield 6 beta

A special note if you haven’t played a Battlefield game on PC recently: Studio DICE and EA recently started requiring players to set their computers to Secure Boot when playing Battlefield games to combat cheaters, and Battlefield 6 is no different. To even play the open beta, you’ll need to delve into your BIOS and switch your PC to Secure Boot. Check EA’s guide for help.