Abstract: A map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for a social media platform displays an interactive map populated with user representations positioned at respective geographic locations of respective users. Upon user selection of a user representation on the interactive map, a target user associated with the selected representation is identified and a communication mechanism is caused to be displayed that enables initiation of direct communication with the target user from within the map-based GUI. In one embodiment, a friend panel is launched at a bottom portion of the display screen over the interactive map, the friend panel including the communication mechanism alongside identifying information about the target user. The communication mechanism enables composition and transmission of text-based messages directly to the target user without navigating outside the map-based GUI.

Abstract: A map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for a social media application displays an interactive map on a user device showing two visually distinct types of icons simultaneously overlaid on the map. A first type comprises user icons representing the respective geographic locations of friend users, each user icon displayed at a display location determined based on a most recently updated location of the user device of the respective friend. A second type comprises content icons representing geo-anchored collections of location-tagged content uploaded by respective individual users, each content icon displayed at a geographically fixed location determined by the location-tag data of the associated content and being selectable to facilitate user access to that content via the interactive map. The first and second icon types have visually distinct shapes, differentiating dynamically positioned friend location indicators from geographically fixed content indicators on the map.

Abstract: A map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for a social media application displays an interactive map on a user device, with a plurality of friend icons rendered at respective geographic locations representing the current or last known locations of friends in the user's social network. User selection of a friend icon via a touchscreen input coincident with the icon's on-screen location launches a full-screen display of the selected friend's story—a collection of media items uploaded by that friend—the full-screen display temporarily replacing the interactive map. The story is compiled without regard to geographic considerations, such that all unexpired media items uploaded by the friend are included irrespective of location. The full-screen display comprises automated sequential playback in chronological order, each item displayed for a respective duration before automatic advancement.

Abstract: A map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for a social media application displays an interactive map on which friend icons represent respective geographic locations of friend users. The map-based GUI provides location-based access mechanisms, each enabling access to social media content based on associated location information, and additionally provides a friend-level access mechanism enabling location-agnostic access to friend user content. Accessibility of friend content via the friend-level access mechanism is agnostic to the identity of or variation in the geographic area displayed on the interactive map. Responsive to user input selecting a target friend user via the friend-level access mechanism, a location-agnostic collection of social media items is displayed — the composition of that collection being likewise agnostic to the geographic area displayed.

Abstract: A map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for a social media platform displays an interactive map on a requesting user's device showing geographic locations of other users sharing their locations with the requesting user. The GUI provides a visibility sharing mechanism comprising a user-operable control element enabling selective switching between a visible mode, in which the requesting user's device location is shared with and visible to other users via their respective map-based GUIs, and an invisible mode, in which the requesting user's location is excluded from display on all other users' map-based GUIs. Upon activation of the invisible mode, the server system ceases transmission of the requesting user's location data to other user devices. The requesting user's map-based GUI continues to display other users' locations and the requesting user's own location while the invisible mode is active.

Abstract: A mobile user device presents an interactive map interface for a social media application on a touchscreen display. A plurality of gallery icons are displayed overlaid on the interactive map at respective geographic locations corresponding to anchor locations of respective location-based social media galleries. The interactive map supports gesture-based navigation via haptic input on the touchscreen display, including a pinch-out gesture that increases the magnification level of the map and a pinch-in gesture that decreases the magnification level, each treated as a distinct gesture type producing a distinct navigational response, and a dragging gesture performed at any location on the touchscreen display that pans the map to change the displayed geographic area.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (GUI) for a social media platform is displayable on a user device associated with a particular user in either of two selectively switchable configurations. In a first configuration, the GUI provides an interactive live map that enables location-based exploration of and access to geo-tagged ephemeral items uploaded to the social media platform by other users, each ephemeral item having a predefined limited ephemeral lifetime and becoming inaccessible via the first configuration upon expiry of its respective lifetime. Responsive to selective user input, the GUI is caused to display in a second configuration providing an interactive historical map that enables location-based exploration of and access to geo-tagged social media content previously uploaded by the particular user, the content comprising expired ephemeral items previously uploaded by that user.

Abstract: A server system of a social media platform automatically compiles multiple location-based galleries from social media items submitted by users to the platform. For each gallery, social media items whose geotag data satisfies predefined location matching criteria relative to a respective anchor location are identified and assembled into the gallery's content set. The compilation is performed as a continuous, ongoing operation such that newly submitted items are automatically added upon submission and expired items automatically removed. A map-based graphical user interface displays a plurality of gallery icons on an interactive map, each gallery icon positioned at the anchor location of a respective location-based gallery. Responsive to user selection of a gallery icon, automated sequential reproduction of the social media items in the corresponding gallery is caused on the user device, each item being displayed for a respective display duration before automatically advancing to the next.

Abstract: A server system manages a plurality of location-based social media galleries, each gallery having an associated anchor location and comprising a set of social media items whose geo-tag data corresponds to that anchor location. A map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for the social media application is caused to display on a user device, the map-based GUI including a map representing a geographical area. For each gallery to be surfaced, a gallery icon is displayed at the anchor location on the map, the gallery icon being an interactive, user-selectable GUI element rendered at the geographic coordinate of the anchor location and representing the corresponding location-based social media gallery.

Abstract: A map-based graphical user interface for a social media application displays an interactive map and enables access to ephemeral social media content submitted by multiple users. Ephemeral social media items with geotag data are grouped into location-based collections based on posting locations within common geographic areas, with collection icons displayed at corresponding map locations. Users can perform location-based searches for social media content, with search queries associated with a search area based on the geographical area currently displayed in the interactive map viewport. Search results identify social media items having geotag data indicating posting locations within the search area. Each ephemeral social media item is available for viewing only during a limited time period defined by an availability parameter, after which the item's availability is automatically terminated.

Abstract: A social media platform provides a map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for accessing social media content submitted for public accessibility via the social media platform supported by the map-based GUI. The GUI includes a map providing interactive location-based searching functionality in that selection of a target location by the user in the GUI, such as by tapping or clicking at the target location, triggers a search for social media content having geo-tag data indicating geographic locations within a geographical search area centered on the target location. A search period for which content is returned is dynamically variable based on the duration for which the tap or click is held.

Abstract: A social media platform provides a map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for accessing social media content submitted for public accessibility via the social media platform supported by the map-based GUI. The GUI includes a map providing interactive location-based searching functionality in that selection of a target location by the user in the GUI, such as by tapping or clicking at the target location, triggers a search for social media content having geo-tag data indicating geographic locations within a geographical search area centered on the target location. A search period for which content is returned is dynamically variable based on the duration for which the tap or click is held.

Abstract: A social media platform provides a map-based graphical user interface (GUI) for accessing social media content submitted for public accessibility via the social media platform supported by the map-based GUI. The GUI includes a map providing interactive location-based searching functionality in that selection of a target location by the user in the GUI, such as by tapping or clicking at the target location, triggers a search for social media content having geo-tag data indicating geographic locations within a geographical search area centered on the target location.

Abstract: A social media platform provides a map-based graphical user interface (GUI) with multiple geographically anchored icons that are selectable to trigger playback of respective galleries of ephemeral messages. Each of the plurality of location-based ephemeral galleries comprises media content contributed by multiple different users. The ephemeral galleries are compiled based on geo-tag data associated with respective ephemeral messages submitted by multiple users to be publicly viewable via the map-based GUI.

Abstract: A social media platform provides a map-based graphical user interface (GUI) with multiple geographically anchored icons that are selectable to trigger playback of respective galleries of ephemeral messages. Each of the plurality of location-based ephemeral galleries comprises media content contributed by multiple different users. The ephemeral galleries are compiled based on geo-tag data associated with respective ephemeral messages submitted by multiple users to be publicly viewable via the map-based GUI.

Abstract: A map-based graphical user interface for a social media application displays to social media activity information based on submission of geo-tagged social media items to the platform. Geographical distributions of social activity is displayed on a map forming part of the application. A heatmap can represent posting density or unusualness.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for the dynamic generation of a map interface include generating temporal activity models by representing individual social media postings as having respective density distributions in time. Each posting's temporal density distribution spans multiple sequential time windows centered on the posting's timestamp, with density contributions decreasing in value for time windows further from the timestamp. The temporal models may be combined with spatial density distributions to generate comprehensive geo-temporal representations of social media activity. A graphical user interface displays an interactive map with overlay elements determined based on calculated activity attributes, including detected temporal patterns and anomalies identified by comparing current activity models against historical baselines. The modeling approach enables improved visualization of activity patterns while providing inherent privacy protection through probabilistic representation of individual posts.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating and serving stylized map tiles for a social media platform's map-based graphical user interface. Multiple earth imagery tiles corresponding to a geographical area are retrieved, each comprising a photographic image of a corresponding portion of the Earth's surface. Based on the earth imagery tiles, multiple stylized map tiles are generated. In response to receiving a request from a user device for display of a target area in the map-based GUI, a set of stylized map tiles corresponding to the target area is retrieved and transmitted to the user device. The generation of stylized map tiles may include retrieving a target earth imagery tile together with neighboring tiles, generating an expanded earth imagery tile, stylizing the expanded tile, and cropping to produce the final stylized map tile. Different neural networks may be used for stylizing tiles at different zoom levels.

Abstract: A server system for a map-based social media platform maintains user location information to enable the rendering of friend icons on a map at a corresponding display locations. The system maintains a per user access control list (ACL) that lists all users whose icons can be viewed by a requesting user. The ACL can include a designation of respective display granularity levels for different friend users.

Abstract: In a graphical user interface (GUI) for a social media platform, social media content is surfaced with variable visual attributes based on activity metrics. In a GUI for a social media platform, where the GUI provides access to posted social media items, an activity metric is determined for the underlying social media activity associated with each of multiple collections of social media items. The GUI displays user-selectable interface elements, such as icons, corresponding to these collections, with each icon having a visual attribute that varies depending on the activity metric. This results in visual differences between collection icons based on differences in their corresponding activity metrics.