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How to hide video views on instagram


How to hide likes and views on your Instagram posts (2023)

Instagram is constantly experimenting with new features, and the latest among these is the ability to hide like, and view counts on your posts. This information may be helpful to know how well your content is resonating with your followers, but it can also be a vanity metric hampering your mental health.

I can attest to how constantly comparing likes and views on my posts with others makes me feel pressured and, over time, damages my self-worth. So I’m glad Instagram has rolled out this feature to reduce the stress caused by online social comparison.

Note: 

  • This feature is currently not for Reels or IGTV videos. View and like counts on Reels and IGTV will still be visible to your followers.
  • If you are looking to learn how to hide likes on Facebook, this is not possible at present but might be in the coming months. We’ll keep you updated.

Let’s find out how to hide likes and view on yours and others’ Instagram posts.

  • How to hide likes and video views on new Instagram posts
  • Hide the number of likes on existing Instagram posts
  • How to turn off likes on other’s Instagram posts
  • Unhide the like and view count on Instagram

How to hide likes and video views on new Instagram posts

When you use this feature, Instagram will no longer show the number of likes under your post. Instead, it will show the username of a follower who has liked your post with the text “and others.”

  1. Create your new Instagram post as usual until you get to the caption writing screen. 
  2. At the bottom, tap Advanced Settings. 
  3. Toggle on Hide Like and View Counts.
  4. Return to the previous page and tap Share to post.

Note: There is no way to set this as the default for all your new posts. So you have to enable the option each time you create a new post: 

Hide the number of likes on existing Instagram posts

You can turn off like count on any of your older posts in just two simple steps: 

  1. Go to the post you want to hide the like count for and tap the three-dots icon at the top right. 
  2. Tap Hide Like Count on the pop-up menu.
  3. Now, the number of likes will no longer be visible. 

As for hiding video views on Instagram, the method explained above works for regular video posts on your feed but not for Instagram Reels or IGTV videos. It is not currently possible to hide likes or views on Reels and IGTV.

How to turn off likes on other’s Instagram posts

In addition to hiding likes on your posts, you should know how to hide the number of likes on Instagram as a whole so that you don’t see them on other users’ posts too. This can help you fully focus on appreciating the content rather than getting distracted by the numbers.

  1. Open Instagram and tap your profile picture at the bottom. 
  2. Tap the three-lined menu icon in the top-right corner
  3. Tap Settings in the pop-up options and go to Privacy.

  4. Select Posts.
  5. Toggle on Hide Like and View Counts.

Of course, you can turn this off at any time to go back to see the like and view counts on others’ posts. 

Unhide the like and view count on Instagram

You may have removed likes on an Instagram post, but what if you want to undo it? Well, you can go back to displaying the counts on any post in two easy steps.

  1. Go to the specific post and tap the three-dots at its top corner. 
  2. Tap Unhide Like Count. That’s it!

FAQs

Q. Should I hide likes on Instagram? 

This is a personal choice. If you find that likes make you feel anxious or compare yourself with others, it might be good for your mental health to turn it off. But if you run a business account, these metrics probably matter to you and help you know how your content resonates with followers. Try it for yourself and see how you feel about it.

Q. If I hide my likes count, can I still see how many likes I get on my Instagram posts?

Yes. With the “Hide Likes” feature, the number of likes or views on a post will not be publicly visible, but you can still check by clicking the text that shows you who liked it. Of course, you can also choose to unhide like counts anytime you want.

Q. Is there a way to hide your activity on Instagram? 

Yes, you can hide your Activity Status on Instagram. This means preventing others from seeing when you are active/online on the platform. Go to Settings → Privacy → Activity Status and toggle OFF Show Activity Status.

Well, now you know how to turn off likes and view counts on Instagram. What are your thoughts about this new feature, and have you tried it yet? Let me know in the comments below!

Read more:

  • How to see your first liked post on Instagram
  • Share a tweet on Instagram Story on iPhone
  • Use Instagram Sensitive Content Control
  • How to download Instagram Stories on iPhone
  • Instagram

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Mehak has a master’s degree in communication and over ten years of writing experience. Her passion for technology and Apple products led her to iGeeksBlog, where she specializes in writing product roundups and app recommendations for fellow Apple users. When not typing away on her MacBook Pro, she loves being lost in a book or out exploring the world.

How to Hide Likes & Views on Instagram and Why You Should Do It

It might help you curb your addiction

Social media can be extremely addictive. Since people only post the “polished” content, most of the things you see are either unrealistically positive or aim to get an emotional reaction from you. Instagramers are especially guilty of that. 

Most people only share the highlights of their lives on Instagram, carefully choosing the best moments and memories that will earn them more likes and comments on the platform. This can quickly turn into a popularity contest if you care about how many people like and view your posts. 

Table of Contents

    However, if you aren’t one of the Instagram influencers and don’t care about the metrics, you can use a new feature and hide Instagram likes from your profile. 

    Why Hide Likes and Views on Instagram 

    Instagram isn’t about likes and views. Normally, you post something because you want to share the news, the story, or your emotions and opinions with the world (or your followers in this case). So why should it matter how many people like your posts and go to your Instagram profile to view them? 

    If you feel like these things do matter for you more than the content that you post on the platform, that’s not a good sign. It’d probably do good for your mental health to turn off likes on Instagram as an experiment. 

    If you want to keep the number of likes and views visible for the sake of tracking your engagement rates and think it’d help you to build a community of people with similar interests, that’s a different story. You can still try and turn off the likes for a little while to see how that affects your mood and motivation. Since the process is easily reversible, you won’t be losing any valuable data. 

    How to Turn Off Likes on a New Instagram Post

    So you’ve decided to hide like and view counts on Instagram. Here’s how to do it on a single post. The instructions are the same for both iOS and Android. However, you’ll need to use the smartphone app to turn off likes. You won’t be able to do it using Instagram on your PC. 

    1. Open your Instagram account and create a new Post. 
    1. In the last stage of creating a new post, you’ll find yourself on the Write a caption page. At the bottom of this page, select Advanced settings.
    1. On top of the page, toggle the Hide like and view counts on this post switch on. If you don’t see this option, it’s possible that your Instagram app is outdated. Try restarting the app, and if you still don’t see the option to hide likes, update Instagram and restart the app one more time. 
    1. Go back to the Write a caption page and finish creating your post. When the post’s ready, select the checkmark icon in the top right corner of the screen.  

    Once your post’s published, you’ll be the only person who can see the count of likes and views on this particular post. 

    How to Hide Likes From Old Instagram Posts 

    Instagram makes it possible to turn off likes on the posts that you’ve already made. To hide likes from an old Instagram post, follow the steps below. 

    1. Open Instagram and navigate to an old post of yours. 
    2. Select the three vertical dots icon in the upper right corner of the post to open the menu. 
    1. From the menu, select Hide like count. 

    You’ll see a confirmation message Like count hidden. From that moment on, you’re the only person who can see the likes on this post. 

    If you later change your mind, you can always unhide the like count on your Instagram post. To do that, go to this post, open the menu, and select Unhide like count. Once again, you’ll get the confirmation message Like count unhidden.  

    How to Turn Off Likes on Other Accounts

    Aside from your own posts, you can also hide likes from other people’s posts if you don’t want to see those in your Instagram feed. Here’s how to turn off likes on others’ posts.

    1. Open Instagram and go to your profile page. 
    2. Select the three horizontal lines icon to open the menu.
    1. From the menu, select Settings.
    2. Then follow the path Privacy > Posts, and toggle the Hide Like and View Counts switch on. 

    If you later decide that you want to see the total number of likes and views on posts from other accounts, you can easily reverse this. Follow steps 1 through 4 from above, except this time toggle the Hide Like and View Counts switch off. 

    Should You Hide Likes and Views on Instagram? 

    Even if you don’t want to get rid of Instagram likes completely, it’s worth an experiment to see if in the absence of these numbers you’ll feel happier.  

    After you turn off likes and views counts on all of your posts, you’ll still see the views count on your Instagram Stories. That way you’ll still be able to roughly tell whether your engagement rates changed or if your content has been reaching roughly the same number of Instagram users. You’ll also receive notifications when someone likes posts on your Instagram page. 

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    Anya is a freelance technology writer. Originally from Russia, she is currently a full-time Remote Worker and Digital Nomad. With a background in Journalism, Language Studies, and Technical Translation, Anya couldn't imagine her life and work without using modern technology on a daily basis. Always looking out for new ways to make her life and location-independent lifestyle easier, she hopes to share her experiences as a tech- and internet-addict through her writing. Read Anya's Full Bio

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    Video views on Instagram – how to see their number

    Videos on Instagram are not promoted by likes alone*. And not every user, after watching the video, will click on the heart. How do you know how popular video content is?

    Why do you need to know the number of video views on Instagram*?

    The creators of the social network have introduced a video counter on Instagram*. Due to the large number of views, the video can get into the recommended, and if it hits the top regularly, the page will be at the top of the search results.

    Top popular photos and videos

    In other words, the number of views of a video shows how popular it is.

    Also, the number of views will be important for your advertisers, because they want more interest in the product if they trust the blogger to advertise. Along with other engagement metrics, video views are also measured in the account quality analysis.

    How to find out the number of video views on Instagram* and how to see if there are none

    After posting a video on Instagram*, below it you will see the number of views and likes.

    When you click on the number of views, Instagram* will show on a separate page the number of views, likes, and those who liked the post

    In the business account or the Author's account, you will also see the statistics of the post. In the statistics, see how many accounts saw the video: reach. And then compare the coverage with the number of video views. As a rule, there will be fewer views.

    See the post statistics by clicking the button immediately below the video

    It would be logical to assume that since the user saw the video in the feed, and it plays automatically, he will either watch the video, or the system should still count it as a view. But no:

    • watching a video on Instagram* is counted if the user pauses on the video for more than 3 seconds;
    • the user will not watch the video if he is not "hooked" at first sight.

    It happens that on Instagram* you can't see the number of video views ...

    ...but only likes are visible

    This happens for two reasons:

    • you have the function to hide the number of views turned on in your settings;
    • The user has the option to hide the number of views for this post enabled.

    If you can't see the number of views under any of your posts, turn off the feature that hides them from you.

    Click on the three horizontal bars on your profile and go to settings

    Go to settings - privacy - posts and deactivate the "Hide number of likes and views" feature.

    If you yourself want to hide the number of video views in the Instagram feed* from other users, check this box when posting a video or change it in an existing post.

    When publishing a new video, go to the application in the advanced settings and activate the item "Hide the number of likes and views of this publication"

    Or go to the settings of any previously published video - by clicking on the three dots above it, and click on the submenu item "Hide the number of likes and views".

    Occasionally, some users upload Reels or IGTV videos to their feed. Is it possible to see the number of views of such publications?

    Everything is simple with Reels: under the video in the feed, click on the word “other”, and in the window that opens you will see the number of plays

    You can also see the number of views in the corresponding Reels section on the main profile page. Here, in the IGTV section, views will also be displayed, as in the feed where the link to the video was posted.

    The difference in IGTV video views is here because while I was going to the right section in the video author's account, more than a hundred people managed to watch the post

    The function to turn off IGTV video views is available in the settings on the main profile page. Go to notifications and select "Live & IGTV" section.

    The history of video views on Instagram*

    There are no full statistics on what you watched today on the social network. What can I do if I need to see the video I watched again?

    If you liked the video while watching it, you can find it on your profile page in the menu by selecting Account - Posts you liked; if you clicked the checkbox below the video, look for the "Saved" section in the menu.

    If you have seen an advertisement or a Story, try to look here:

    If you have reacted to an advertisement or a Story, it will certainly be here .

    Stories marked with white circles are those that you have already watched

    How Instagram* counts video views

    There is a wide variety of information on this subject roaming the net. Someone claims that the social network counts only unique views, someone is sure that the number of times a user logs in and watches the same video is counted. Why guess - let's check it out on our own experience.

    We created an empty account with no followers and uploaded a video to it.

    The first time you watch a video on Instagram* is counted as yours - when you check if the video was uploaded correctly to the network.

    Do your other views count? Yes! But only once a day. That is, you watched once today, the application counted the view, and that's it: no matter how much you watch the video today, it will not add new views. And the next day the same.

    Do multiple views by other users count? Yes! But according to the same scheme: once a day. Therefore, it will not work to make the counter work faster and wind up the figure more in this way.

    And a nuance: the system does not count views immediately, but after 10-15 minutes.

    How to increase the number of views of your videos on Instagram *

    We will not talk about general ways to promote content now. Let's focus on those that will improve the statistics of video views on Instagram*.

    Quality content.

    Instagram* pages on the use of videos are divided into two types:

    • video content – ​​blogger's main publications;
    • video content helps diversify and draw attention to the page.

    Of course, now we are not talking about low-grade videos "I kicked him - he fell." We are talking about those that users will start watching without knowing what is inside, just because it is your video.

    istinaglagolova and svetlusya made funny videos, vines and social videos the main content of their blogs zoopark_gorki , natasakado and yuliya.permyakova add videos to diversify the content. The zoo uploads videos about animals, Natalya videos about life and life in Africa, and Yulia plays up the questions and situations encountered by pediatric dentists. Judging by the comments to the sensational video about “moo-moo cow”, grown-up boys are not averse to making an appointment with her :)

    These are examples of Instagram* accounts that successfully incorporate high-quality videos into the life of their page. They want to review, repost and send to friends.

    Cover.

    Video cover that can increase interest in the video. It must convey the content of the video. If in the video the viewer sees not what he expected to see, then the person will be disappointed. Make sure the video cover is in good quality, the text is easy to read if it is. Instagram* is a mobile social network and finer details on the cover will not be visible.

    How effective your cover art is will determine whether followers who visit your profile want to watch the video. On the cover, you can add elements of the brand's corporate identity and words that call to action. Remember the rule of thirds - it will help you make interesting and attractive covers and photos. See how the cover looks with other photos in your account. If it is out of the general style of maintaining an account, then this will alienate the subscriber.

    Did you know that the SMMplanner social media posting service allows you to upload your Instagram* video cover as a separate file? Read our article where we reveal the secrets of creating a cover, as well as an overview of video editing software for Instagram*.

    Advertise videos in your stories.

    Some Instagram users* are currently watching Stories more than posts. Therefore, it will be appropriate to remind your audience and others in stories that:

    • “And I have a new video in my profile”;
    • "Did you read the comments under my new video?";
    • “Did you have the same experience as in my new video? Write in the comments!”;
    • and, of course, "That's why I made the kids jump under the covers yesterday!".

    Reels and IGTV video feed announcement.

    Whether it's a cool dance or a full lecture - announce them in the feed! When posting Reels or IGTV videos, mark that you want to add them to the feed.

    Thus, you will get two streams of viewers who will watch the video: from the Reels section and from those who have your post flashed in the feed

    And if ordinary videos are tired and you want to please the audience with something non-standard, go to our articles:

    • Stop motion: how to diversify Instagram content*;
    • "Live" photos: what is it and how to take them.

    Diversify your social media feed!

    The article has been updated. First published: February 24, 2016

    How to hide likes and views on Instagram

    The Instagram platform is constantly evolving with new features and apps with new options. Recently, users have been able to hide the number of likes and views of other people's posts, the same is possible for their own publications.

    Apple in Telegram and YouTube. Subscribe!

    ♥ BY TOPIC: Who has the most followers on Instagram in 2021 - the 40 most popular accounts.

    The famous global network, owned by Facebook, said these features were created to reduce user stress and pressure. These features have been tested by Instagram in several countries since 2019, but it wasn't until late May 2021 that the new features became available globally.

    Instagram said testing showed an interesting fact: simply deleting likes has little effect on user behavior and well-being, despite the fact that using the platform causes people anxiety and can even worsen mental health. With the help of our guide, we will show you where you can find new opportunities for working with the social network in the Instagram mobile application.

    ♥ BY TOPIC: Instagram QR code, or how to share a link to your Instagram profile.

    How to hide likes and video views for new posts on Instagram

    After activating this feature, you will see the name of the follower who liked your post and the phrase "and others" instead of a number that usually indicates the number of likes.

    1. Start a new Instagram post normally until you reach the last menu before posting.

    2. Click " Advanced settings " at the bottom of the menu.

    3. Check the radio button next to " Hide the number of likes and views on this post ".

    4. Return to the previous menu, then click " Share " to post.

    Please note that even if the user has the like counter turned on, they will not be able to see the number of likes on accounts or messages that you have hidden.

    ♥ RELATED: How to upload photos and videos to Instagram from a Mac or Windows computer.

    How do you hide the number of likes on your already published Instagram posts?

    1. Find one of your own publications.

    2. Tap the ellipsis (three dots) icon in the upper right corner of the message.

    3. From the pop-up menu, select " Hide the number of likes and views ".

    ♥ RELATED: How to create albums from Instagram photos or videos.

    How to choose people whose likes will / will not be visible on Instagram?

    1. Tap your profile picture, then tap the menu button (three-line icon) on the top right corner of the interface.

    2. On the tooltip, click " Settings ".

    3. Select section Privacy → Publications .

    4. Activate the switch next to item Hide Like and View Counts .

    In the new Messages menu, you'll notice a few additional toggles that allow you to select " Who can tag you " for Everyone , People you follow , and Nobody . In the Posts tagged section, you can also enable or disable the option to manually approve tags.

    See also: