Does it feel like likes (or the lack thereof) on Instagram are taking its toll on your well-being?
If you want to stop seeing likes on Instagram posts for whatever reason, you’re in luck: Meta now offers users the option to hide likes from their Instagram timeline.
In other words, you can now hide “likes” from your own posts, from others’ Instagram posts, or both.
This guide will show you how.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Simplify Instagram Business
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- Manage & reply to comments and DMs in one place.
- Monitor ad comments from multiple accounts.
- Automate answers to repetitive questions.
- Schedule posts to multiple accounts, on desktop.
- Analyze performance and monitor hashtags.
- Keep track of your competition.
- Create or schedule in-depth reports in seconds.
Why would you want to turn off “likes” on Instagram?
You probably asked yourself this same question: “Aren’t ‘likes’ supposed to be a good thing?”
The answer, of course, is a complex one, so we’ll settle with yes and no.
The vicious cycle of seeking external approval
Some context on why the answer is no: According to research published by Child Development, getting fewer likes on social media is causing emotional distress among adolescents.
While the study is limited to teens, many of us who have moved past that age can relate. If you made a homemade three-tiered chocolate cake, took a photo, uploaded it on Instagram, and all you got was crickets, how would you feel?
Exactly.
(By the way, it was I who made that three-tiered chocolate cake. I eventually got three “likes.” And I’d be lying if I said seeing those eventual likes didn’t feel good.)
But then again, those initial bursts of dopamine made me check back on Instagram over and over, and all I got for my trouble were crickets.
The point is that this constant craving for likes can lead to a vicious cycle of seeking external approval for self-worth.
In our constant craving to seek approval through likes, we end up comparing ourselves to others, which often results in self-doubt. Any form of self-doubt won’t bode well for your mental health.
Meta’s move to give people more control on Instagram and Facebook
Since 2021, Meta’s been testing tools to hide likes on Instagram and Facebook as part of their initiative to give users more control on the platform.
As per Meta’s announcement:
“We tested hiding like counts to see if it might depressurize people’s experience on Instagram. What we heard from people and experts was that not seeing like counts was beneficial for some and annoying to others, particularly because people use like counts to get a sense of what’s trending or popular, so we’re giving you the choice.”
The importance of meaningful engagement over likes
By turning off “likes” on Instagram, you can free yourself from this validation trap, allowing you to regain control over your self-esteem and mental well-being.
Besides, likes aren’t always a true reflection of the quality or impact of your Instagram content.
Not to say they aren’t important, but likes shouldn’t be the end-all-be-all of your social media content strategy.
Sure, likes, along with follower count, are a key element when calculating your engagement rate, but without context and meaningful analysis, likes may steer you toward vanity metrics territory.
If you know what’s good for your biz, you must give more time and cognitive space to focus on what’s more important: cultivating a meaningful connection with your target audience.
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How to hide likes on Instagram
As already mentioned, there are many ways to hide likes on Instagram. Let’s go over them one by one.
How to hide likes on others’ Instagram posts
If you want to hide likes on other users’ Instagram posts, you can do so by going through Settings.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Once you’re on Instagram, go to your Profile by tapping your profile photo on the bottom right corner of your screen.
Step 2: On your Instagram profile page, tap the three-dash icon in the upper right corner of your screen. After the sub-menu pops up, click on Settings.
Step 3: On the Settings menu, click on Privacy.
Step 4: On the Privacy menu under Interactions, tap Posts.
Step 5: On the Posts menu under Like count, you will see the option to Hide like count. By default, the toggle should be off. Tap the toggle to turn it on. Once you do, you’ll notice that the toggle has turned to blue.
And just like that, you won’t be able to see other users’ likes on their Instagram posts.
Want to see the difference? Here are two versions of the same Instagram post, the left one with the like count visible and the right one with the like count hidden.
How to hide likes on your Instagram posts before publishing
Hiding likes on your Instagram posts is just as simple. There are two ways to pull it off: before publishing and after publishing. If you prefer to hide likes only on certain posts, you can choose either option.
Here are the steps to hiding likes on your Instagram posts before hitting publish.
Step 1: Start creating an Instagram post like you normally would. When you get to the part where you’re given the option to share (and tag people, add topics and location, and so on) – tap Advanced settings.
Step 2: On the Advanced settings menu under Likes and views, you will see the option to Hide like count on this post. Tap the toggle blue to enable it.
Step 3: Hit the back button until you get to the part where you’re given the option to share.
Step 4: Click Share.
Once the Instagram post is published, you’ll notice it doesn’t show the number of likes.
How to hide likes on your Instagram posts after publishing
But what if you published something on Instagram and realized (after the fact) that you don’t want to see how many likes you get from it?
No need to delete and reshare the post. You can hide the likes on that Instagram post even if it’s already been published.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to the Instagram post you want to hide likes on.
Step 2: Tap the three dots icon seen on the upper right portion of the Instagram post. This brings up a pop-up menu.
Step 3: See the Hide like count option (the one with the crossed-out heart icon)? Give it a quick tap.
Step 4: After tapping on the Hide like count option, you’ll be taken back to the Instagram post. Right in the middle, you will see the message “Like count hidden.”
Now check out the number of likes on the Instagram post. Oh, that’s right, it’s gone!
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How to see your likes on Instagram (even if they’re hidden)
So, you’ve hidden your likes but found a good reason to see how many likes you’ve received for certain Instagram posts. Say you’re running a social media campaign and want to track your engagement metrics, you might want to find out your number of likes.
Fortunately, there’s a way to see how many likes you’ve got for an Instagram post, even if you had them hidden.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to the Instagram post for which you want to see the hidden likes.
Step 2: Just below the Instagram post where you see the words “Liked by” followed by the names of a few users who liked the post and “others.” Tap “others.”
Step 3: A list of usernames will appear, indicating who liked the post. At the top, you will see the heart icon followed by a number. That number represents the total count of likes your post has received.
If you’re wondering whether other users can see your likes using the same method, don’t worry. As indicated in the section where you can see your hidden likes, no other users can see how many hidden likes you have but you.
By following these steps, you can still access the individual likes on your posts, even if you’ve chosen to hide the overall like count. This flexibility allows you to maintain your desired level of privacy while also being able to gather specific engagement data when needed.
The pros and cons of hiding likes on Instagram
To hide likes or not to hide likes on Instagram; that is a tough question for most of us. To arrive at the right decision, balancing the pros and cons helps.
Here are the pros and cons of hiding likes on Instagram.
Pros
Let’s start with the pros.
Improved mental well-being
This was already covered, but it bears repeating: our obsession with likes, if left unchecked, can erode our mental health in a lot of ways. It puts us in a mental framework where we’re always keeping score, which only causes unnecessary pressure, unfair comparisons, and anxiety.
Increased authenticity
Paying too much attention to “likes” prevents you from expressing yourself in a genuine manner when you engage with your audience on Instagram. Remember, users can smell desperation from a mile away.
Without the constraints of sharing likes, you’re more likely to enjoy interacting with your audience. If you love what you’re doing and love serving your audience, your content is more likely to resonate with them.
Less pressure for perfection
Without the distraction of likes, you feel more liberated to experiment and post content without the fear of judgment or getting fewer likes. This makes your Instagram content more diverse and creative, opening up new possibilities for different styles, topics, and formats. When you dare to try new things, you may get amazing results as well as prevent your brand from becoming stagnant.
Increased focus on content quality
When you’re keeping score, all you can think about is numbers, numbers, numbers. If the amount of likes on your Instagram is always just there for you to look at, the fragmentation of attention that follows (even if you’re trying to focus on something else) can negatively impact your ability to create truly amazing content.
When the pursuit of likes takes a backseat, you can do away with distractions that usually impact your ability to get into a state of flow. The result? Enhanced creativity and more breakthroughs, which result in Instagram content your target audience will enjoy and get immersed in.
More focus on meaningful engagement
Without the constant distraction of likes, you can focus your energy and efforts on building meaningful connections with your audience. Instead of chasing numbers, you can concentrate on creating content that resonates deeply with your followers, encouraging genuine conversations, and fostering a sense of community.
Meaningful engagement leads to a more loyal and satisfied audience, creating a positive environment for both you and your followers on Instagram.
Cons
Loss of social proof
Visible likes act as social proof, indicating the popularity and credibility of a post. Hiding likes might diminish this social proof, potentially affecting how users perceive the quality and relevance of content. This could be especially impactful for businesses and influencers relying on social proof for their reputation.
Impact on engagement strategy
Without seeing your like counts, you might find it difficult to assess the success of your Instagram content. While likes aren’t always accurate KPIs in terms of measuring audience interest, they may offer some invaluable insights if you benchmark them against some of your engagement metrics.
Final thoughts
Whether you prefer to hide likes on Instagram or not, what matters is that your main focus is to serve your target audience to the best of your ability. If you want to make a strong impact with your Instagram content, make it your goal to create content that they will like, nay, love.
If you succeed in doing that, you’re more likely to receive more likes anyway, but that’s just a bonus. After all, your ultimate reward is the genuine connections you build and the positive impact you make on the lives of your audience.
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Simplify Instagram Business
Management with One Tool
- Manage & reply to comments and DMs in one place.
- Monitor ad comments from multiple accounts.
- Automate answers to repetitive questions.
- Schedule posts to multiple accounts, on desktop.
- Analyze performance and monitor hashtags.
- Keep track of your competition.
- Create or schedule in-depth reports in seconds.
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