Instagram is a fun and useful way to share your life with your friends and followers. However, it becomes a lot less fun when we get caught up in the number of likes our posts receive.
This can make us feel inadequate compared to others, insecure about our feed and ourselves, and strive to create an account that is not authentic to who we are and what we love.
It is important to remember that most social media posts are a small glimpse into people’s lives, and it is not always as perfect as they may seem. It is also good to know that most of the time, likes don’t actually matter.
To prove this, Instagram has included a feature that hides the like count of your posts and the posts of others. If this sounds like something you’d want to do, then read on to find out more!
Why Do People Hide Their Likes On Instagram?
Mental Health & Social Media Pressures
The purpose of Instagram for most people is to share your life in pictures. However, at some point in our lives, most of us will fall into the trap of caring about views and likes more than posting authentic content – whether your authentic content is selfies, club pictures, food pictures, news, your opinions, your emotions, or memes – anything that makes you feel good.
When you care more about the likes your posts get than just posting whatever you want, you begin to feel the pressures of social media and this can cause a decline in your mental health. So, to reduce social media pressures and improve your mental health, it may be a good idea to begin hiding likes on Instagram.
Read more: This Is How The Instagram Algorithm Works In 2022
How To Turn off Likes On Instagram
Luckily, Instagram has made it extremely easy to hide likes on their app. Likes are hidden on individual posts rather than every post on your account at once. Not only that, but hiding likes is actually reversible – meaning that you can choose to unhide your like count at any point in time.
There are two ways you can hide your like count on Instagram: before and after posting.
Before Posting
Turning off Instagram likes before posting couldn’t be simpler! Here’s how to do it in a few easy steps:
- Choose your photo and create your post – choose a filter, pick a caption, etc.
- Now, you should be on the final page pre-upload. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and find the option called ‘Advanced Settings.’ Click it
- Then, look at the top of the screen. There should be an option to ‘tap to toggle’ your likes and views count. Click this
- Go back and upload your photo or video – the like count should now be hidden!
Read more: What Is The Best Time To Post On Instagram?
On An Existing Post
So, if you have an existing post that you want to hide the likes for then we have good news! This is also a very simple process, just follow the following basic steps:
- Find the post you want to hide the like count of and click on it
- In the upper-right corner of the post, there should be three dots. Click them
- Here, you’ll see an option to hide your likes. Click this and voila! Your like count is now hidden. It should look like ‘liked by (Instagram user handle) and others
How To Turn Off Likes On Other Instagram Accounts
Sometimes, it is not enough to hide our own likes. It can be better for us and our mental health if everyone on your feed had hidden likes too. While you cannot and should not be able to tell others what to do with their own Instagram page, you can actually hide everyone else’s likes in your own feed – without it affecting them!
This is a great option to consider because you will be able to focus on posts and people that matter to you, rather than just concentrating on popular posts (or, strike a balance between both!)
Here’s how you can hide the like counts of other Instagram accounts:
- Click on your own Instagram profile
- In the upper-right corner, you will find the menu. Click it and click ‘Settings’
- Tap the ‘Privacy’ button
- Once you have done this, hit the ‘Posts’ button
- There should be an option to toggle on a button beside ‘Hide Likes and View Counts’. Tap it.
And there you have it! The next time you’re scrolling through Instagram, you won’t be able to see anyone else’s like count. Enjoy scrolling through your feed without likes!
Read more: How To Make A Reel On Instagram
Can I Turn Likes Off On Instagram Via The PC?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to turn off Instagram likes on the PC. This is because Instagram aims to promote the app, and so many features that you are able to do on the app are disabled on the PC. Sadly, this includes the option to hide your likes.
Should You Hide Instagram Likes?
Hiding your Instagram likes is a personal preference. If you feel like hiding like counts would reduce social media pressures and boost your mental health, then you should definitely give it a go!
However, if you have aspirations to become an influencer or to collaborate with brands then hidden likes may not be the best idea. This is because brands are less likely to work with you if they cannot see a return on their investments, and likes are a great way to assess that.
Having a visible like count is also a great way to track engagement rates and build a community on your Instagram page, so that is something to keep in mind if you have these goals.
Read more: How To Add Special Fonts To Your Instagram Bio
How To Unhide Instagram Likes
It is good to note that hiding your like count is not a permanent thing, and you can always change it back if you want to. If you want to unhide your Instagram likes, then you just need to follow these simple steps:
Other Instagram Accounts
- Go to your Privacy settings
- Turn the ‘Hide Likes and View Counts’ button off
Your Instagram Posts
- Go to the specific Instagram post
- Click the three dots and then press ‘Unhide Like Count’
Final Thoughts
Hiding your like count on posts is a personal preference – some people choose to do it to preserve their mental health and care less about what other people think about their posts. Others prefer to show their like count because the amount of likes they receive doesn’t affect them, or they want to work with brands, track engagement, or build a community.
If you choose to hide your likes, it can be one less thing to think about when sharing posts. Hiding likes is also Instagram’s way of allowing users more control over their feeds and posts, which is something to support, even if you don’t want to hide likes yourself!
Hiding your likes could not be simpler! Just follow the steps above and go back to having fun on social media.
You can read additional Instagram articles here.
