How to hide the like count on Instagram and why it matters

Social media is a great tool in many ways. Not only does it allow us to keep up with what our friends and distant family are doing, it also enables us to show a select portion of our own lives with those who follow our accounts. Yet, while there are clear benefits of communicating virtually in this way, social media also brings with it a variety of pressures, particularly for younger users who may feel their worth depends upon how many likes and followers they have. 

Indeed, in 2017, Time Magazine reported that Instagram was found to be the worst social media platform for mental health, based on a survey of over 1,500 teens and young adults. 

To reduce the harmful effects, like feelings of inadequacy and low self esteem, Instagram is always working on how it can improve its platform. For example, one idea the company has been looking at using disclaimers to highlight when photos have been digitally altered – something that the Norwegian Government has already put into law. 

Since 2019, Instagram has also been working on giving users across the globe the ability to hide likes on a photo, here’s how you can do it.

How to hide your likes on Instagram photos: a guide

Hiding your likes on Instagram is actually really easy. All you need to do is go to your mobile app and tap on a photo you have posted to your profile → then tap the three dots in the top right hand corner → and finally hit the “Hide like count”. This will change the total number of likes received to the name of one of your followers ‘and others’. It will also mean that your followers will be unable to click on the likes to see just how many others liked the post. You’ll need to repeat this process each time you post a photo.

You can also use these steps above to prevent people commenting on your photos. To do this follow the above steps until the last point and tap on “Turn off commenting”. 

If you also want to hide the likes you see on other accounts on Instagram, go to your profile and tap on the three lines in the top right hand corner. Next tap on “Settings” and then on “Privacy”. Next, click on “Posts” and then toggle on the “Hide like and view counts”. 

As a final point, it is also worth noting that you can turn off your ‘like’ notifications so that you don’t have to see the number pop up each time you post a photo and open Instagram. 

To do this go to your profile and tap on the three lines in the top right hand corner. Next tap on “Settings” and then on “Notifications”. When you click on “Posts, stories and comments” you’ll be taken to a page that gives you a variety of toggle options for how you receive notifications on Instagram. If you don’t want to see your like count pop up on your photos, tap “Off” under the ‘Likes’ section. Instagram also helpfully gives you examples of each type of notification, so that you can see exactly what you’ll be turning off. 

Instagram’s algorithm will still take the number of likes into account when promoting posts on the platform, so influencers need not be worried about their content performing badly if they hide their likes. However, the brands they work for may prefer them not to.  
Will you be trying this feature on Instagram and if so why? Let us know in the comments section. And, if you have any questions or other technology queries, please tweet us at @techtroublesho1.