After testing various forms of the feature, Instagram and Facebook today officially launched the option to hide like counts. The feature offers the ability to hide other people's likes as well as your own.
Instagram and Facebook today announced the innovation via a blog post officially announced. The new options to hide like counts appear to be server-side changes, as we see the new options on Instagram without updating the iOS app. For Instagram, there is a universal toggle to turn off like counts for others, as well as the ability to hide like counts for your own posts. As for Facebook, the company stated that the two features will arrive in "the next few weeks." In both cases, the option to leave the like and view count as it was before will remain. Users will see a new prompt that will take them straight to the new settings. Of course, the whole thing can be enabled/disabled at any time. For Instagram:
- Go to your profile in Instagram -> sandwich symbol (top right)
- Settings -> Privacy
- Posts -> Hide like and view counts
To hide the number of likes for your own posts individually:
- Tap the three-dot icon in a post -> select Hide Likes.
Hide Like Numbers on Facebook
The feature will be rolled out on Facebook in the coming weeks. We'll show you how it all works below:
- Tap the three-line icon in the bottom right corner.
- Swipe down and select Settings & privacy -> Settings.
- Swipe down (near the bottom edge) to News Feed Settings.
- Select "Like" details.
Now you can turn off reactions for other people's posts as well as for your own posts. You'll probably find the option to hide reactions per post by tapping the three dots icon in a post. Facebook/Instagram point out that they are trying to get more feedback from users and "will continue to work on new ways to give people more choice." The statement reads:
We're also funding more outside research into people's experiences on Instagram and how we can improve our policies and products to support our community. We're currently soliciting research proposals from academics and nonprofits worldwide. If you're interested, you can find more information on how to submit here. Changing the way people look at like counts is a big shift, and we'll continue to work on new ways to give people more choice so they can feel good about the time they spend on our apps. (Photo by Unsplash / dole777)
