Instagram has considered hiding the like count on images uploaded to the social network, which would prevent people from seeing how many people have tapped the "heart" icon on each photo.

The feature was found by Jane Manchun Wong, who often hunts down features in testing in Instagram and Twitter. As depicted in an image shown by Wong, the like count on a photo is hidden by default and visible only by the person who posted the photo.

instagramhiddenlikes
"We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get. During this test, only the person who shared a post will see the total number of likes it gets," reads the description of the feature.

In a statement to The Verge, however, Instagram says that the feature is not being tested at the current time: "We're not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we're always thinking about.

Hiding likes would fundamentally change the way Instagram works, as liking photos and garnering likes is one of the platform's main features.

Top Rated Comments

Saipher Avatar
82 months ago
This would be great! I believe a lot of teens, and some adults too, feel pressured to receive likes as a measure of their social acceptance or status. This would alleviate the problem.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Intellectua1 Avatar
82 months ago
There goes a lot of Instagram models careers, they should hide the followers count too, that'd be hilarious!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoEw Avatar
82 months ago
Strangely I think this would be good for the platform long term, the like thing is quickly becoming a poison on people’s minds. Instagram doesn’t want to be the next Facebook. They should double down on photos.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DBZmusicboy01 Avatar
82 months ago
Facebook is killing Instagram more and more everyday :( this is ridiculous
Instagram used to be amazing back in 2012-2016 but ever since 2017 it has gone to crap.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dampfnudel Avatar
82 months ago
This would be great! I believe a lot of teens, and some adults too, feel pressured to receive likes as a measure of their social acceptance or status. This would alleviate the problem.
I think that’s one of the main reasons they would consider doing this. It would also be a good step in the right direction to deal effectively with the glut of influencers and wannabe influencers who have made the service a bloated, meaningless shell of what it once was. They could create a separate app for influencers called Instafluencers (which they would charge a fee for) and keep the commercialization/influencer bloat out of Instagram. When you have too many influencers peeing in the same pool, people will begin to reconsider their decision to get into the pool.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iBreatheApple Avatar
82 months ago
I’m for it but people who use this as a monetary/business platform are gonna be piiiised. Likes and metrics are what get people (models, DJs, whoever) bookings.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...