Here's the 411 on How to Turn off Likes on Instagram

It's always a huge bummer when you post a gorgeous photo on Instagram and receive only a few likes. It can chip away at your confidence and may result in you limiting how much content you choose to share on the platform. Of course, the sole purpose of the app is for users to share content that they’re proud of, regardless of the validation they receive from others.

With that in mind, Instagram has decided to make a bold move by offering a feature that allows users to hide their like counts. And while the idea has been met with mixed reviews, the feature is now available to the masses. So, how exactly do you hide your likes on Instagram? Keep reading to get the full scoop.

For a long time, likes have been a huge part of the Instagram experience. Now, app developers have created three ways to hide likes: hiding likes on your posts before sharing a post, after sharing, and for your entire feed.

When it comes to hiding likes on your post before sharing, start by setting up your post. At the bottom of the new post screen, click the “Advanced Settings” option. Next, click the “Hide Like and View Counts on This Post” option so it turns blue. Once complete, click the back button at the left hand corner of the screen. Finally, tap the blue “Share” button at the top right-hand side of the screen.

As for hiding likes after you share a post, the process is pretty simple. On the selected post, click the three-dot symbol at the top right-hand corner of the post. Tap “Hide Like Count” and your work is done. Now, your post will read “Liked by [username] and others.”

For folks inclined to turn off likes on the posts of others on their feeds, kick things off by clicking your profile icon on the bottom right-hand side of the screen. Next, tap the icon with three lines at the top right-hand corner of the screen. Then, tap “Settings” and tap “Privacy.” Tap the “Posts” option and tap on the “Hide Like and View Counts” option to turn it blue. Now, you’ll be unable to see the like counts on other people’s posts and vice versa.

It’s no secret that many people feel a sense of validation from receiving likes. However, when other users fall short, it can cause anxiety, pressure, and other negative feelings. So, Instagram developers have flipped the script.

The hide likes feature is much more than an act to depressurize the user experience. It’s also a way for users to define how they want to use the app.

“We tested hiding like counts to see if it might depressurize people’s experience on Instagram,” the company wrote in a blog post. “What we heard from people and experts was that not seeing like counts was beneficial for some, and annoying to others, particularly because people use like counts to get a sense for what’s trending or popular, so we’re giving you the choice.”

They continued, “Changing the way people view like counts is a big shift. We’ll continue working on new ways to give people more choice, so they feel good about the time they spend on our apps.”

The beauty about this feature is that the choice is yours. You can keep your like counts visible or hide them. No matter what you decide, it’s important for all users to not feel pressured and be able to enjoy the app for what it truly is, a content-based platform that brings people from various backgrounds together.