How to Turn Off Likes on Instagram

Instagram's handy new feature lets you hide likes on your posts!

Instagram gives all its users the option to hide their like count on their posts. This is a much-appreciated feature that gives people more control over their privacy as they navigate their way through the world of social media. When you turn off your like count, you’ll only see an “and others” instead of the number of people who liked it. The feature also allows you to hide the like count for pictures and videos that accounts you follow have posted.

If you’re thinking about turning likes off on your Instagram, read on ahead to learn more!

Why Is This Necessary?

Social media platforms that focus on visuals, such as Instagram, have long since been associated with having negative effects on the mental health of their users. These apps have a direct impact on our self-worth, and there have been many cases of users forming body image issues when they look at the perfect influencers and celebrities. According to a study conducted on 513 teenage girls in 2020, 84% said they had used filters and effects to alter their appearance in a photo they posted on Instagram. 78% of them said they tried to hide body parts they disliked in their posts. 

Many users correlate the likes they get on Instagram with their self-worth. Instagram has given us this feature so we can turn off or on our likes according to personal preferences. In a statement, parent company Meta said they’re doing so to “depressurize people’s experience on Instagram.” 

How to Turn Off Likes on Your Posts

So you’ve finally decided to turn off likes for the pictures and videos you’re posting. Great decision! We’ll teach you how to do it so you don’t waste your time looking for the settings yourself. But first, here’s a thing you should know. Instagram lets you turn off likes for both new posts and the ones you’ve already published on your profile. For new posts, you’ll have to do it during the post creation process. For ones that you’ve already published, you’ll have to go to each post’s settings. The process is simple and the same for both iOS and Android.

Before You Post Them

Follow these steps to turn off likes for new posts before you post them:

  1. Create a post as you usually do.
  2. On the last page (where you add the description), scroll down to Advanced Settings.
  3. Turn on the toggle button next to Hide Like and View Counts on This Post
  4. And voila, you’re done!

After You’ve Published Them

For individual posts on your profile, here’s how you can turn off the likes: 

  1. Go to the post you want to turn off likes for. 
  2. Tap the three dots in the upper-right corner. 

From the pop-up menu, click on Hide Like Count.

How to Turn Off Likes on Others’ Posts

Sometimes, you don’t want to see likes on the posts that show up on your feed. Instagram lets you turn off the like count on other people’s posts, and you’ll only see a “Liked by [username] and others.” The steps to switch off likes on others’ posts are as easy as those for your posts. Here they are:

  1. Open your profile from the bottom-right corner of your Instagram home page. 
  2. Click on the three black lines to open up the menu.
  3. Go to Settings.
  4. Tap on Privacy.
  5. Select Posts.
  6. Toggle on the Hide Like and View Counts button.
  7. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Turning Likes Back On

Nothing in life is permanent. If you’ve had a change of heart and want your likes to show up on your posts like before, don’t worry. Turning them back on is just as easy as turning them off. 

To see Instagram likes on others’ posts, go to the Privacy menu in Settings and toggle Hide Like and View Counts back on. To get likes to show up on your posts for others to see, navigate to the specific post and tap on the three dots to access the pop-up menu. You’ll see an Unhide Like Count button. Toggle it on. It was this easy, so you shouldn’t be worried about having doubts about a change of heart later on. 

Signing Out!

This feature is Instagram’s way of giving users more control over their profile and privacy. Whether you choose to hide or show your Instagram likes, it’s still good to know how to do it. Did you have any difficulty while doing so? Have any thoughts about the new feature? Let us know in the comments below!


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