Studies continue to show the positive effects of social media on our mental health, self-perception, and well-being. A recent study uncovered the positive effects that Instagram likes can make on teenagers.
We’re going to have a hard time if we begin to judge ourselves and base our self-worth on how many likes we get online, especially when compared to celebrities and influencers. Many Instagram users have tried to hide likes from the past.
Instagram settled on a happy middle ground, giving users the option of hiding likes from their posts and other Instagram posts.
This article will discuss the various ways that you can hide Instagram likes.
Why would you want to disable likes on Instagram
Researchers took 182 students aged 13-18 and asked them to imagine an Instagram post that received a lot of likes, and one that got very few. Participants who imagined receiving few likes had much more negative sentiments than those who thought they would, especially those more open to feedback.
Social media likes can have a negative effect on users’ mental health. Social media has a proven effect on our brains. So keeping your followers from seeing the number of likes your posts have can help combat that comparison–especially as an influencer.
But, as a brand there are benefits to turning off fans.
First, likes are a vanity metric. It is not important to measure the performance of your Instagram marketing efforts. It’s second nature to scroll and like, but it doesn’t necessarily mean anything more. Instead, pay attention to Instagram metrics such as comments and shares. This indicates that users were able to take action after reading your post.
How to hide Instagram likes
You can hide likes in both your Instagram posts and on Instagram accounts that you follow.
Note: You may also be a parent or older sibling, or have a connection to young social media users. If you have young people on Instagram, this could be an opportunity to make a change. Encourage them to share this update, so that there is less comparison online.
Let’s take a look at how to hide Instagram likes step by step.
How to hide likes in others’ Instagram photos
You can hide likes from other Instagram posts in your account settings. This will prevent you from comparing your account to that of a competitor. This will force you to see more than the same counts while scrolling.
These steps will help you hide likes from other’s Instagram posts
Step 1. Tap on the hamburger menu in your profile, then tap Options.
Step 2. Tap Privacy in the Settings Menu.
Step 3. Tap Posts in the Privacy Menu.
Step 4. Turn the Hide like and View Counts options on.
Instead of “Liked username” and 11034 other, you’ll see “Liked username” and “Liked other“.
How to hide likes in your Instagram posts before you publish
Let’s now discuss how to hide your Instagram likes. There is no way to hide all likes on Instagram. You will have to do this for each post. This can be done before you publish the post, or after you publish it.
Step 1. Create your next Instagram photo as normal. Tap Advanced Setting when you reach the section where you can write your caption, tag products, or add a place.
Step 2. To hide your post’s likes and view counts, click the toggle button next to Hide Like and View Counts on This Post. This option will hide views for videos uploaded to your feed. This option is not available to Reels.
Step 3. In Advance Settings you can make even more changes to your post before it is published, such as adding alt text for screen readers, or turning off comments.
How to hide likes in your Instagram posts after they are published
You can toggle the like count off after sharing your post to your audience if you forget to hide it.
Step 1 Go to the post you wish to update. Tap the three dots icon for more settings and preferences.
Step 2. Next, tap Hide Like Count to hide how many people have liked your post.
Step 3. You also have other options like retroactively turning off comments and pinning the post at the top of your profile.
How to see your Instagram likes even if they are hidden
Although you and no one else will see your likes publicly, you can track them internally to monitor your growth. You can track your likes as your account grows.
You can see your Instagram likes in two different ways, even if you haven’t hidden them from your feed.
You can first access your likes data via the Instagram Insights. You can access your analytics as long as you have an Instagram Business account. To do this, go to your profile and tap the Insights link.
To check on your likes, and other analytics, you can also use your Sprout Social profile. The Instagram Business Profiles Report will show you how many followers, impressions, likes, and other statistics your account received over the given time period.
You can still access important data without having to upload it to your monthly report.
Consider whether hiding Instagram likes might be a good idea for your brand.
Do you hide Instagram likes? If you are targeting younger people with your products and services, this may be the best option. You can ignore these numbers if you don’t care about them. To gauge if people are responding to your posts, track more important metrics like overall engagement.