Instagram revealed that it is currently testing a feature that allows users to hide their likes on their Instagram posts so others cannot see them. The like count feature was initially developed in 2019 and aimed to completely remove the feature; however, Instagram has decided to give users the authority to choose whether they want their likes displayed or not.
Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri revealed that the new feature was initially beta-tested last year with a small group of users and will now be expanded publicly to all users.
“Last year we started hiding like counts for a small group of people to see if it lessens some pressure when posting to Instagram. Some found this helpful and some still wanted to see like counts, in particular to track what’s popular. So we’re testing a new option that lets you decide the experience that’s best for you – whether that’s choosing not to see like counts on anyone else’s posts, turning them off for your own posts, or keeping the original experience”.
The new like count option will help users avoid the constant pressure and anxiety of posting content to gain the most number of likes. Users – mainly younger generations – often value their worth with the number of likes they receive, with many becoming discouraged and even deleting posts when their like counts are low. Influencers and brands will still have the ability to view the number of likes on their social posts in their profiles – allowing them to assess their campaign success and engagement.
Moreover, Facebook is also looking to expand the Instagram’s like count feature to the Facebook app to further support their community:
We're testing this on Instagram to start and we're exploring a similar experience for Facebook too.
More to share about this soon.
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) April 14, 2021
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