Instagram lets users hide like counts on posts — both their own and those they view — a feature introduced to reduce social pressure and let people focus on content rather than popularity.
Overview
Instagram introduced the option to hide like counts after experimenting with different ways to make the app less focused on numerical validation. Users can choose to hide likes on individual posts when publishing, remove public like counts on their entire profile, or hide like counts for posts they see while browsing the feed.
How to hide likes
To hide likes on a single post, use the advanced settings on the share screen before publishing. To hide like counts across your profile go to Settings > Privacy > Posts and toggle the option to hide like and view counts. To hide likes on posts you view, change the same privacy setting so counts are not visible while browsing.
Why it matters
Hiding like counts is intended to reduce anxiety, discourage unhealthy comparison and shift attention back to creative expression and meaningful interaction. For creators and brands it can also change how audiences perceive content, encouraging engagement based on quality rather than visible metrics.
Implications for creators and brands
While public like counts are less prominent when hidden, engagement metrics remain available to account owners through Insights and analytics. Creators and businesses should rely on internal metrics, comments and shares to measure performance and tailor strategies accordingly.
Practical tips
If you want less social pressure, hide counts for your own posts. If you prefer an uncluttered feed, hide counts you see from others, keep measuring performance with analytics, communicate expectations with collaborators and sponsors when counts are hidden to ensure transparent reporting.
Takeaway
Instagram’s hide-like feature gives users more control over their experience, helping reduce emphasis on visible popularity while preserving the underlying metrics creators need to understand audience engagement.