Hidden likes on Instagram: how to hide the count and why you can't see other people's likes

Where hidden likes came from

Instagram first tried the idea in Canada. In late April 2019, TechCrunch reported a test that removed total likes and video views from Feed, profiles and permalink pages. The company put the goal plainly: followers should focus on the photos and videos, not on how many likes they get. Authors in the test could still open the list of everyone who liked their photo.

On May 26, 2021, Instagram announced that everyone on Instagram and Facebook would get the choice. The company said it had been testing hidden counts for a while to see whether they might depressurize the experience. The feedback split. Hidden figures helped some people and annoyed others.

The annoyance had a clear reason: people use likes to get a sense of what is trending or popular. So the platform left the decision to each person instead of hiding the count for everyone. The announcement described two switches. One removes the count under everything in your feed. The other keeps others from seeing how many likes your own uploads get. The company called it a big shift in the way people view likes.

How to hide likes on your own posts

The help center covers two moments: before an upload goes live and after. The switch hides the figure from other people only. According to Instagram Help, you still see the total number of likes on your own posts. The same setting covers views, so others see neither count. Our guide to hiding views on Instagram covers view counts on their own.

On a new post

1. Pick a photo or video and move to the last screen before sharing.
2. Tap More options at the bottom of the screen.
3. Turn on Hide like counts on this post.
4. Share it as usual.

On a computer the switch sits under Advanced settings and mentions view counts in its name. Either way, it applies to this one upload. Each new photo or reel gets its own decision.

On a post you've already shared

You can hide the figure after publishing too. Open the upload and tap Options in the top right. Choose Hide like count to others. It stays in your feed and on your profile, and other people stop seeing the count under it. The option works both ways, so you can hide the figure for a while and show it again later.

How to hide the count on other people's posts in your feed

The second switch works the other way: it removes other people's figures from your screen. The help center frames it as your choice whether you see the total number of likes on posts and reels. It changes your view only. The path in the phone app looks like this:

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Below What you see, tap Like and share counts.
4. Turn on Hide like & share counts.

On a computer, click More in the bottom left, then Settings, and follow the same path. The name hints that share counts disappear along with likes. The switch covers every photo, video and reel the app shows you.

It suits people who catch themselves comparing their totals with everyone else's. Without the figures, the feed shows photos and videos instead of a contest of likes. The platform named that aim directly: less pressure. The announcement also named the cost: without the figures, it is harder to tell what is popular right now.

Why you can't see likes on someone else's post

A missing count under someone else's upload has two causes, and different people make each call. First, the author of the post hid it before or after sharing. Second, you turned on the switch from the previous section yourself. A third case looks different: you see no photos or reels at all.

How to tell whose choice it is

• No count under anything you open. Your own switch is on. Turn it off and the figures return.
• A count everywhere except a few uploads. The author hid those, and only that author can bring them back.
• No content visible at all. The account is private. Instagram Help says only approved followers see a private account's posts, including likes and comments.

What other people see

The same help page describes the line under a photo. A like is visible to anyone who can see the post. Your followers may also see your username under a photo you liked, no matter how many likes it has. After 4 likes, photos show the number along with usernames of some people you follow. Hiding takes only the figure out of that line.

A private profile does not hide its owner's likes on public content. The same help page says such a like is visible to everyone, and the username under it can be tapped. Only approved followers can open that profile's own photos and reels.

People can hide their own likes too. A separate setting called Likes you've made lets you pick who sees what you like: everyone, people you follow, close friends or no one. The account that shared the content sees your like whatever you choose. Our piece on someone else's likes covers what you can learn about another person, and the guide to your own likes shows where your history lives.

What the author sees

The author sees the total even after hiding it from others. Deeper figures live in insights. The help page on post insights lists views and interactions, which include likes, comments, saves and shares. Insights work on a public account, personal or professional. Our guide to Instagram insights explains where to look and what each figure means.

How to bring the count back and make likes visible

Every switch works both ways. The way back repeats the way in, and only the switch position changes. Here is the order for each case:

• Other people's content. Open Menu, then What you see and Like and share counts. Turn that switch off.
• Something you've already shared. Open it, tap Options and choose Unhide like count to others.
• An upload you haven't shared yet. Leave the switch under More options off.
• Someone else's photo where the author hid the count. You have no setting for this. Only the author of the post can bring the figure back.

Check the result through someone else's eyes: ask a friend to open the photo or look from a second account. The author sees the total under any settings, so your own screen won't show the difference.

The figures in your feed are worth keeping if you follow what is popular through likes. The announcement named that very reason when it explained why hiding annoyed people.

Who likes your posts most when the count is hidden

A count answers one thing: how many. It never says who, and hiding it takes away even that hint. Instagram Help says likes are found below a post, and for a video you tap the view count to see them. That means one upload at a time. Take a sample account with 12 posts a month and 150 likes on each. Your most active followers hide somewhere in 1,800 rows, and handles blur together by the end.

Our article on who likes your posts covers the ways to check inside the app. Engagement, the share of people who like and comment, also comes down to specific people. One follower likes every reel, another comments once a month. The Most Engaged Followers report collects public likes and comments from a public profile's recent posts. It then ranks people by how many reactions each one left. You do not sign in to your account.

Each row shows a person's likes and comments, a total score, a rank and a link to the public profile. The top row means reacts most often, not closest. The platform shares private messages with no one. The ranking counts only reactions that any visitor to the profile can see. Use the list to decide whom to thank in the comments or invite to a giveaway.

Common questions