Understanding Instagram’s like hiding feature

Instagram's move to privacy

It is no secret that Instagram, like many other social media platforms, is continually evolving to meet the changing needs and expectations of its users. One of their recent updates is the option to hide likes on posts. This feature came about as a part of Instagram’s broader push towards creating a less pressurised environment for its users. The intention is to alleviate the sense of competition and comparison that the display of likes can encourage.

Why would someone want to hide likes?

Before delving into the how-to, we first need to address the 'why'. It's important for users to understand the potential benefits of hiding likes. This could include reducing social pressure, focussing on true content quality and sharing more authentically. Everyone’s experience with social media is unique, but for many, the number of likes has become a source of stress, anxiety, and comparison.

How does this feature work?

By default, Instagram will display the total number of likes each post has received. However, Instagram's new feature gives users the option to hide the like-count on their posts. This means that while you can still see how many likes your own posts have received, others cannot. In addition, you can also choose not to see the like-count on others' posts. This significant feature modification is easy to set up and navigate once you understand the process.

The steps to hide likes on Instagram posts

How to hide likes on new posts

To hide likes on new posts, the process is pretty straightforward. While creating a post, users will see an advanced settings tab. Under this tab, there's a new option to 'hide like and view counts on this post'. This is a simple, yet effective way of controlling who sees the interaction metrics on your posts.

Hiding likes on existing posts

For those who want to hide likes on already existing posts, the process is similarly simple. Navigate to the post you want to hide the likes on, tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner, and then select 'hide like count'. This way, even older posts can be updated to suit your comfort levels around public interaction metrics.

Hiding likes from appearing on posts from others

Instagram gives the option to hide likes on posts from other accounts too. This is done via the settings menu. By selecting 'privacy', then 'posts', users can toggle on or off the 'hide like and view counts' option. This feature reflects Instagram's strive to give its users a more authentic and less competitive social media experience.

The implication of hiding likes on Instagram

The impact on influencer marketing

Hiding likes freely can have significant implications for influencers and businesses who rely heavily on these metrics for brand partnerships and monetization. However, influencers can still manually share their like counts with potential sponsors, and insights remain available for business accounts. The hidden likes can also potentially encourage audiences to engage with posts based on quality rather than popularity.

Improving mental health

The feature has implications for mental health too, as hiding likes might minimize social comparison and appearance-related pressure, which have been linked to negative impacts on self-esteem and overall mental health. So, even though the change might seem small, it could have a massive impact on users' perceptions of self-worth and authenticity.

The future of Instagram engagement

Finally, this change could herald a new era in social media engagement. It might shift the focus from quantity - chasing likes - to quality. Without visible likes, followers might start to leave more comments, share posts, or interact in other, more meaningful ways. This could lead to a completely different Instagram culture in the future.