Can you see how many likes on instagram
How to See Likes on Instagram in 2023 (even hidden likes)
Instagram is famous for the heart button users can double-tap posts to show content some love. Until recently, like counts were public throughout the Instagram app, but changes are already happening.
Instagram has taken its community’s feedback on board1 and decided to become a place where people can comfortably express themselves without feeling pressured to generate high engagement.
The decision is part of the platform’s founders’ efforts to transform Instagram into a place where users can focus on the media they share – not the number of likes that might set them apart from more popular accounts.
Let’s take a closer look at how, exactly, these changes have been rolled out, how they are going to affect marketing on Instagram, and how to see likes on Instagram regardless of those changes (including hidden likes).
- What has changed?
- Why is Instagram hiding likes?
- How will businesses on Instagram be affected?
- How to see Instagram likes in 2023 (including hidden likes)
View Your Instagram Likes in 2023
Wondering how to see hidden likes on Instagram? Use NapoleonCat and check the number of likes under your posts and competitors’ accounts as well. Try it for free:
Try NapoleonCat free for 14 days. No credit card required.
What has changed?
You may be wondering – why can’t I see likes on Instagram?
The changes come down to the fact that Instagram will no longer publicly display the number of likes generated by posts if a user chooses to hide likes on his IG posts.
This means that the exact number of likes given to any individual photo or video will only be known to the user who posted it.
Prior to Instagram’s updates, this is how the platform’s users would see how many likes a post has generated:
The New YorkerThe post-rollout view is different: the information beneath posts with multiple engagements mentions that the image or video has been “Liked by username and others.”
Instagram hiding likes – source: Bon AppetitThe word ‘others’ is a link that, once tapped, redirects to a complete list of users who have liked the post.
It is, therefore, technically possible to manually count the number of likes of any given post – but, in the case of large posts with thousands (or millions!) of engagements, it would be a ridiculously tedious task.
The rollout started in Canada in April 2019. The update was later introduced in Ireland, Japan, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.
Why is Instagram hiding likes?
Instagram is currently one of the world’s largest social media platforms. Focused on visual content, Facebook’s sister app has proven to have an enormous impact on modern culture.
Over the last decade, Instagram has been instrumental in shaping fashion and beauty trends. It was the birthplace of original, sometimes odd phenomena (virtual celebrities, pet influencers, and even the Instagram face).
It brought fame and money to many – and sparked the dream to pursue fame and money online in many more.
Finally, the platform played a substantial role in the creation of high-quality and aesthetic standards for what people share online.
Every Instagram user knows the seemingly effortless yet stunningly stylish snippets of other people’s daily lives (#iwokeuplikethis), travels, meals, and so on.
Unfortunately, not everyone is able to tell that some – if not most – of them are meticulously staged and hardly representative of anyone’s real life. Thanks, Dan Bilzerian!
The fact that professional influencers coexist with ‘casual’ users on the platform and the lines between both groups are blurred was bound to cause some issues.
With all content ‘judged’ with one universal tool – likes – Instagram has, over time, become a popularity contest of sorts.
And since certain lifestyles, beauty standards, and activities consistently collected higher numbers of likes than others, large parts of Instagram’s user community eventually started feeling insecure and inadequate about their own content, and, in consequence, their lifestyles, resources, and overall wellbeing.
This brings us to the point.
The decision-makers at Instagram name their concern for the platform’s users’ mental health as the main reason to give users the possibility to hide likes. Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s CEO, tweeted:
Our interest in hiding likes really is just to depressurize Instagram for young people. It’ll likely effect how much some people engage on Instagram, probably liking a bit less and posting a bit more, but the main thing we’re trying to learn is how this effects how people feel.
So, to sum it up: Instagram is changing the way users view likes to bring back the joy of posting to those who were negatively affected by the competitive implications of publicly displayed engagement scores.
The platform’s management is hoping to see more users post regularly and publish what they truly want to share without worrying about how their content will be received and how it will rank against popular posts on Instagram.
How will businesses on Instagram be affected?
The way Instagram decided to look out for the mental health of its users is a much-needed act of social responsibility that will hopefully inspire other social media giants.
But over the last few years, the platform has become more than just an outlet for self-expression.
In 2019, over 25 million brands big and small were using Instagram as part of their social media marketing strategies. How will Instagram’s decision to hide likes affect their efforts?
1. Tracking competitors on Instagram will change
Likes are a social media marketing metric that has traditionally been used to measure the success of Instagram content.
Brands will still be able to apply this to their own posts – as we mentioned before, every Instagram account owner will have access to the exact number of likes their posts generate.
But success is relative. Without being able to check in on how activations similar to yours are going on competitors’ accounts, how will you know whether your campaign is actually going well?
See Instagram likes on competitors’ profiles
Wondering how to see hidden likes on Instagram? Easily access the number of Instagram likes for your competitors’ profiles with one simple tool.
Try it for free:
Try NapoleonCat free for 14 days. No credit card required.
2. Assessing Instagram influencers will become more difficult
Engagement is also an important metric that defines the success of Instagram influencers. Brands are willing to invest significant sums into influencer campaigns if they know that the person they work with has a loyal and interactive following.
Without public access to the likes metric, the process of scouting influencers for paid campaigns and negotiating rates will likely become a bit more complicated.
3. No more buying likes
As Instagram became a popularity contest, the desire to collect high numbers of likes got out of hand. Several businesses bypassing Instagram’s terms of service and selling likes popped up, and many personal and business accounts used such services to boost their visible engagement and appear more credible on the platform.
Since likes are going to be less visible on Instagram, fake engagement will no longer serve its questionable purpose, and the shady practice of buying likes is bound to disappear naturally.
Yay!
How to see likes on Instagram (even hidden likes)
Instagram is doing what it can to protect its community – and that’s great news. But the platform is not turning its back on businesses in the process, even if the implications discussed above might seem like a burden to marketers.
Here’s the thing: you will still be able to view Instagram likes, just not on Instagram.
While the vanity metric is no longer going to be a concern of the general public, marketers will be able to still access it through specialized social media management tools.
Here’s how to see Instagram likes – tools like NapoleonCat still allow you to view the exact numbers of likes – and other engagements – for any public Business or Creator Account you follow.
You will be able to see the number of Instagram likes for each post, and you’ll be able to set a completely custom time period for your analysis, too.
This means that you can still conduct a proper social media competitive analysis as well as verify whether what influencers tell you about their social performance is accurate.
So, you’ll be able to see the total likes on your Instagram account, as well as on any other public Instagram business profiles.
Reminder: After you connect your Instagram accounts to NapoleonCat, please wait up to 24 hours for the tool to fully sync your Instagram analytics data.
Can’t see the number of likes on Instagram for a particular post? No worries, you’ll also be able to access data for each post:
How to see likes on Instagram for specific posts.And here’s a little video we’ve made to show you how checking Instagram likes with NapoleonCat looks in action:
View Your Instagram Likes in 2023
Wondering how to see likes on Instagram? Use NapoleonCat and check the number of likes for your own accounts and your competitors’ profiles as well, even hidden likes. Try it for free:
Company emailTry NapoleonCat free for 14 days.
No credit card required.
Wrap up
Instagram’s decision to hide likes is rooted in how influential the platform has become for modern culture. And while experts predict the changes will have a positive effect on the platform’s users, the update will also pose some challenges for brands using Instagram as a marketing and sales tool.
Influencer marketing will have to adapt to the new reality – but specialized social media management tools with access to Instagram’s API will allow for a smooth transition.
Stay tuned for more Instagram updates!
Instagram likes – FAQs
Time for a quick summary of the article. Here are the most important facts:
Does Instagram still show likes?
In 2023, Instagram users can choose to either show or hide their likes under specific posts.
Can you still see likes on Instagram?
Yes. Even if you can’t see likes using the native platform, you can still use third-party tools, like NapoleonCat, to check the number of likes under your own and other users’ posts.
How can I see my total likes on Instagram?
You can use NapoleonCat to check the total number of your Instagram likes. You can set a custom time period for your analysis and get more historical data about your likes. You can also generate automatic reports or analyze any other public Instagram accounts that are connected to a Facebook Page.
Did Instagram remove ‘Posts you’ve liked’ insights?
The short answer is no, Instagram did not remove the option of seeing what you’ve liked on Instagram – it’s just located in a different place within the IG app.
Below you can check how to look at your likes on Instagram.
How to see liked posts on Instagram
Wondering how to see posts you’ve liked on Instagram? It’s really easy, but it’s now done in a different way than in the past.
To see your likes on Instagram (from the last 300 days):
- Click on your profile picture in the bottom-right corner
- Click on the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner
- Click on Your activity -> Interactions -> Likes
And that’s it! You can also sort your likes by dates 🙂
We also recommend you read some more Instagram tips:
- How to Analyze Competitors on Instagram
- How to Track Instagram Follower Growth Over Time
- Understand Instagram Analytics in 2023
- A Complete Guide to Instagram Follower Demographics
- 27 Instagram Hacks You Need to Try in 2023
- Auto-Comments on Instagram: When and How Should You Use Them?
- How I Used Hashtags to Grow my Instagram Organic Reach 20x
- How to Get More Comments on Instagram in 2023
- Why Instagram Hiding Likes Will Make Your Feed Less Awful
How To See Likes On Instagram In 2023
Instagram is well known for its iconic heart button.
However, Instagram has taken its user’s feedback on board and changed the way you see Instagram likes on the platform. In hopes of creating a platform where social media users feel comfortable expressing themselves without the pressure of high engagement, Instagram has publicly hidden the number of post likes.
So, if you’re a social media marketer or influencer relying on seeing how many users have liked your posts, you might be wondering what workarounds exist. Not many users know this feature or how to access it, but we’re here to share how Instagram users can still publicly see likes on your posts and your competitor’s Instagram posts.
Let’s take a closer look at how these changes are being rolled out, how they will affect Instagram marketing, and how to see likes on Instagram regardless of what future changes Instagram rolls out.
Contents
What changed with Instagram likes in 2022?Are you wondering, ‘Why can’t I see the number of post likes on Instagram?’.
This change comes down to the fact that Instagram will no longer publicly display the number of likes generated by posts unless the user chooses to make the like count public.
The decision to publicly hide the number of likes is part of the social media platform’s founders’ effort to make Instagram a place where users can focus on the content they share and not on the number of likes they receive. The total like count will only be available to the individual who posted it.
The evolution of likes has changed over the years, and for some, it is hard to keep up. In 2019, the Instagram app trialled removing likes entirely for select users in the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand.
Before Instagram publicly hid the number of likes, users could see how many likes a post had generated simply by viewing the image or video in their feed. The decision to hide likes was made to promote a positive, social community. This was first introduced across only a handful of accounts to test the impact of on-platform user experience in 2019 and 2020.
In 2021, Instagram post likes came back in a new form. The like count was displayed differently and showed the posts‘ information beneath the caption with multiple engagements that the image or video has been liked by: “Liked by username and others.”
Removing the public display of Instagram likes meant other users were no longer shown a like count on posts, making it more difficult to track the performance of competitors’ content.
In 2022, Instagram announced it was giving users a new option to choose whether to hide likes on the platform or unhide likes. Now, users have the ability to keep their like counts public or switch them to private.
Why did Instagram decide to hide likes?Instagram introduced hiding likes publicly as an initiative to create a safer place on the internet. According to Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram), this platform update was designed to create a more welcoming online community on Instagram.
The team hoped this change would inspire users to focus on sharing great content, not worry about the number of likes a particular post gets.
Adam announced the change was being made in an effort to improve the mental health of Instagram users. Receiving a low number of likes on an Instagram post has been linked to anxiety in younger users.
The idea was to depressurize Instagram, make it less about competition, and give people more space and freedom to create content, connect with a community, and engage with posts that inspire and uplift them.
After two years of testing the impact of removing public post likes, Instagram found that public removal did not depressurize Instagram to the extent they would have liked. As such, Instagram announced users can choose whether they hide likes on the platform or not.
Is the like count hidden on all Instagram posts?The short answer is – no, not all like counts will be hidden.
When the Instagram features were first updated to hide likes, creators and influencers said that the like count metric was important for sharing value to brand partners and the removal negatively impacted an influencer‘s average engagement rate.
Since influencers‘ Instagram photos play an important role in creating engaging content on the platforms, Instagram has responded by providing more options to users.
This feature is still being rolled out globally but you will now have the option to either publicly hide or display likes on your own posts when publishing your content. How? Simply by accessing your advanced settings on the Instagram app and opting into publicly displaying likes or hiding them when you publish your content.
What does Instagram look like with hidden likes?Our beloved heart button is changing. Instead of seeing the number of likes underneath an Instagram post, something we‘re all very familiar with, you will see one Instagram user who has liked your post followed by text: ‘and others‘.
If you‘re interested in displaying your like count to the online community, then luckily, you will still have the option to do so. This option will be displayed when you select to hide the number of likes on your post publicly.
Here are the current measurements that the Instagram app uses to determine how to display the number of likes:
- Below 100 likes: shown as “others”
- Below 1,000 likes: shown as “hundreds of others”
- Below 100,000 likes: shown as “thousands of others”
- Below 1,000,000 likes: displayed as “hundreds of thousands of others”
Great question. The new hide-like option on the Instagram app allows you to control whether your Instagram followers or ’Instagram stalkers’ can view your like count. This means you have the power to either hide or unhide likes.
This new feature gives Instagram users more control over their platform use.
You can now choose to see like counts on other people‘s posts, and you can also hide like counts on your posts. Not for you? No problem, you can also use the original experience of Instagram.
The incentive is to promote a feel-good experience when using the Facebook Meta family of apps and to give the user more control over the experience.
It is important to be aware that even when a user opts to hide their like display, likes do not disappear altogether. The total like count is hidden publicly, but users can still view who has liked a post by clicking on: ’and others’.
As your scroll through your feed, there will be no like count displayed if you have decided to hide likes and view counts on your Instagram feed. If you click on: ‘and others’, you can see who liked your posts and tap through to see the full list of people who engaged with a post. If you have the time, you can also manually count how many users liked the recent post.
How do I hide likes on my post that is already published?Step 1: Navigate to the published post you want to hide Instagram likes.
Step 2: Tap the three dots in the top right corner above your post.
Step 3: Tap Hide Like Count.
Step 4: It’s that easy! Where your like count usually lives, it will now say Liked by [x] and others.
How do I turn off likes before publishing my post?Step 1: Click on your Instagram profile.
Step 2: Tap the menu in the upper right and choose Settings.
Step 3: Hit Privacy.
Step 4: Tap Posts.
Step 5: Hover on the button next to Hide Likes and View Counts. When you are scrolling through your Instagram feed, you will no longer see like counts.
How do I see likes on Instagram again?If you’re a fan of displaying likes publicly on Instagram, regardless of the Instagram app changes, luckily, you still can. Instagram is focused on bringing the joy of posting back to their platform without the negative effect of competitiveness and judgment.
While other Instagram users can hide their likes publicly, you can still view their like count simply by clicking on: ’and others’ on the selected post.
Instagram is changing the way users view likes to bring back the joy of posting to those who were negatively affected by the competitive implications of publicly displayed engagement numbers.
Instagram users haven’t lost the ability to view their likes, it’s easy to find by heading directly to your Instagram insights, or you can use your Sked Social Analytics to gather a report on your engagement.
Are likes still an important metric to be tracking in 2023?Let’s be honest. We all love getting likes and double taps on our Instagram posts. Likes have always been a vanity metric on the Instagram app, and while most users chase the number of likes, it is not always an accurate indication of engaging content.
As the platform focuses on rewarding creative content and building a safer community, there are more important metrics to focus on in 2023. These metrics will help you determine your content’s impact on the platform and assist in analyzing which content or influencers impact your business or brand with engagement.
Here are five metrics to keep an eye on in 2023
1. Engagement to Instagram follower ratioHow often have you seen an Instagram account with over a million followers and only a couple hundred post likes? Generally, this indicates an unloyal following or perhaps even paid followers that don’t actively engage with content.
You can work out this metric manually by adding the number of interactions with the post divided by the number of Instagram account followers and then multiplying by 100.
2. Instagram follower growthThis metric is always a vital sign that your content is engaging and attracting organic followers. It is also a good sign that your content is relevant and speaks to your target market. You’re on the right track if you’re seeing consistent follower growth (organically, please!).
Comments are a clear indication of a highly engaged follower. It is clear that a user has engaged with your content when they comment on your post.
A like is easy enough to give, but if a follower goes out of their way to like and comment on your post, it’s a strong indication that this is an organic follower and your content is attracting strong engagement.
4. Reach & referral trafficThe reach metric tells you how many people are seeing your content and how many have viewed your post. It confirms that your hashtag usage is supporting your reach volume. If you have a high reach volume, this indicates that the algorithm likes your content and is delivering it to more people.
And referral traffic is also an important metric, demonstrating how much traffic has been driven directly from your social media account. This metric is the traffic referred directly from your social media posts or bio. This can also be recorded in Google Analytics.
5. Instagram StoriesAnd lastly, Instagram stories – we all love them, and there’s no denying that. Keep an eye on the number of stories replies, story taps back and forward, story exits, and impressions. Reading this data allows you to determine how engaging your content is and will support more profile traffic if you engage a follower on your Instagram stories.
The Instagram display is ever-changing, but in 2023 Instagram is giving users more control over how their Instagram engagement is publicly displayed.
You have the choice of whether or not your Instagram likes and comment count is displayed publicly. You can even update your Instagram feed to hide or unhide likes if you want to just focus on the content. But nothing is permanent, and it’s essential to remember you can still change your display at any time in your settings if you change your mind about viewing likes in your feed.
Keep in mind this year that there are more important metrics than the number of post likes.
Ready to create a data-driven social media strategy? Start a free trial of Sked Social today and tap into advanced Instagram analytics.
How to hide likes on Instagram from yourself and others. Full instructions
Instagram has long been testing a feature that would allow to permanently remove likes from posts and the number of views from videos. For what? According to the administration of the service, for the sake of equality between users: so those whose posts get a few likes will not be complex and chase after "hearts" when they see thousands or millions of likes from others. It was expected that Instagram would turn off likes forcibly, since the service had previously removed the exact “Like” counter from some users, replacing it with the phrase “and others.” But users were still given a choice, and now you can disable likes and views both for your posts and for everyone else in your feed.
You can hide likes on all your photos and videos. And other users too
How to remove likes in insta
You can remove likes and views counter both for new publications and for existing posts in your profile. To remove likes and views from a new post, do the following:
- Start creating a new post;
- At the step of adding a signature, select Advanced settings at the very bottom;
- Turn on the toggle switch Hide the number of likes and views on this post .
You can hide likes right when publishing a post
Add a signature, tag people if necessary, everything is as usual. After you click Share , the post will be published, but without likes (if it's a photo) or a view counter (if it's a video).
To remove the number of likes or views from an existing post, open it, click on the three dots on the right and select Hide number of likes .
You can hide likes in an already published photo in a couple of seconds
How to turn off likes on Instagram
Recently, Instagram also has the ability to hide likes not only for your own publications, but also for others. More precisely, they will see their “Like” marks, but you will have a neat feed without extra hearts and information about the number of views.
- Open Instagram and go to your profile;
- In the upper right corner, select the context menu;
- Open Settings - Privacy - Publications ;
- Select Hide Likes and View Counts .
After that, you will not see likes from others
It should be noted that this feature is not yet available to all users. For example, I don’t have such a parameter on my personal page, but on Instagram AppleInsider.ru, where there are more than 50 thousand subscribers, it appeared this morning. So if you don't have the option to turn off likes yet, you're not the only one. Looks like Instagram first rolled it out for users with a lot of followers. Which is actually strange, because disabling likes was done specifically for those who have few subscribers.
You may be interested : How to download any video from Instagram to iPhone or iPad
Curiously, with all the innovations, Instagram never released a version for the iPad. The head of the service previously explained this by “lack of time,” saying that Instagram developers simply do not have the strength for this, as they are busy with other projects. Apparently, they made a button to turn off likes in the application. Would you like Instagram for iPad or are you already resigned? Tell us in our Telegram chat.
In fact, some Instagram projects seem frankly far-fetched. At first, the company tried to popularize a dedicated Direct messenger to give users the opportunity to communicate, as it were, outside the social network, since, as it turned out, a lot of people use the built-in messaging tool quite actively. However, this project failed because there was never enough audience to make sense of keeping the application running.
Instagram on iPhoneApp Reviews for iOS and MacApple Tips
How to Hide the Like Counter on Instagram - Instructions – AIN.
May 15, 2021, 16:01
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Back in 2019, the Instagram social network began testing the ability to hide likes. Then the company forcibly removed the “Like” marks in some accounts, explaining that the innovation would reduce social pressure between users. In 2021, the company announced that the experiment is going global. An AIN.UA journalist noticed an option in his personal Instagram profile and tells how to hide the likes counter.
How to hide likes on Instagram
In short:
- in your personal profile, select the photo on which you want to hide the like counter;
- click on the ellipsis icon at the top of the photo;
- select "Hide number of likes";
- in the case of a video, the user hides not only the number of likes, but also views.
Details
Users received two new options: hide the number of likes on personal photos and the ability to disable the display of the counter on the publications of other users. It is noteworthy that the user cannot hide all the likes on personal photos at once - the option must be enabled in the settings of each image. Here's how to do it:
- Go to your Instagram profile;
- Click on the photo where you want to hide the like counter;
- Click on the ellipsis icon at the top of the photo;
- Select Hide Number of Likes.
You can also hide the counter while preparing your photo for publication. To do this, you need to go to "Advanced Settings" and enable the "Hide the number of likes and views on this post" option.
You can turn off the ability to see the number of likes of other users in the Instagram settings. In this case, the user will not be able to see the exact “Like” marks, while the feed will also be formed according to the principle of potentially interesting publications for a particular person.
- Go to "Settings" and select "Privacy";
- Click "Publications";
- Enable the "Hide Like and View Counts" option.
In addition, users can customize the way they work with tags: turn on the manual approval option, and also specify who exactly can tag them on photos. This is a rather useful feature, since often users are marked by advertising accounts.
Why it's interesting
Facebook, which owns Instagram, says the "hide likes" feature will help users focus on content rather than studying its popularity. It is for this reason that the company is actively working on its implementation, in particular on Facebook. With the help of preliminary testing, we managed to find out that not all users need such a function - for example, some use data to determine the popularity or relevance of their content. In this regard, the company decided to provide several options for settings.
It's also interesting that Instagram hasn't announced the official launch of the option to hide likes. In April 2021, it became known only about the beginning of global testing, while users who gained access were promised to send appropriate notifications. By the way, the AIN.UA journalist did not receive such notifications.
Recall that earlier AIN.UA told how to delete Instagram, as well as how to watch stories anonymously.
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