If you're anything like us, the pressure to post something good on Instagram is exasperated by like counts. What if your photo only gets a dozen likes? The horror. Well, Instagram apparently realises this is a real issue for some users, and it's finally doing something about it.

For several years, Facebook-owned Instagram has been testing hiding like counts as a way to "depressurize people’s experience" on the platform. Now, it's announcing that everyone on Instagram (and even Facebook) will now have the option to hide public like counts on posts. 

Instagram said both users and experts found hidden like counts to be beneficial, although it also said some people weren't so happy about it. So, it's giving everyone more control over their experience. If you want to hide like counts on Instagram posts, you can - it's as simple as that.  

How to hide like counts on Instagram

Starting 26 May 2021, you can hide like counts on all the posts in your Instagram feed. You’ll also have the option to hide like counts on your own posts, blocking the ability for others to see how many likes your post received. 

How to hide 'like' counts on Instagram posts photo 2

Hide like counts on others’ posts

  1. Go to your Instagram settings (Profile > Menu > Settings)
  2. Find the new Posts section in settings.
  3. Toggle on the option to "Hide like counts and view counts".

This setting change applies to all the posts in your Instagram feed from other users. It hides both like counts and view counts from all posts.

How to hide 'like' counts on Instagram posts photo 1

 Hide like counts on your posts

  1. Find a post of yours where you'd prefer to hide its likes.
  2. Tap the ... button in the corner of the post to adjust its settings.
  3. Select "Hide Like Counts". That's it!

You can also choose to hide like counts on your post before sharing it - though you can turn the setting on or off even after it goes live.

Want to know more?

Check out Facebook's blog post for more details.