https://www.essence.com/culture/instagram-hiding-likes/

By Brooklyn White ·May 26, 2021May 26, 2021

Beginning on May 26, Instagram is giving users the option to hide the likes they’re getting on posts. In addition to hiding their own likes, they’ll be able to stop seeing other people’s likes, too.

For your own posts, you’ll have the choice to keep the likes permanently hidden, or manually turn them off. “People want more flexibility, so we thought it would be important to give people the option,” Instagram said in a press release. In the coming weeks, these functions will be available on Facebook as well.

To hide like counts on other users’ posts, visit the new Posts section in Settings. This controlwill apply to all of the posts in your feed.

“The idea is to try and depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition, give people more space to focus on connecting with the people that they love, things that inspire them,” said Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, during a 2019 conversation with Tracee Ellis Ross and Arielle Pardes. “But it’s really focused on young people. We have to see how it affects how people feel about the platform, how it affects how they use the platform [and] how it affects the creator ecosystem.”

This change comes in the midst of other additional features on the popular social media platform, including the ability to have pronouns listed in the bio section in your profile.

Instagram understands that there is no “one size fits all” approach to wellness and comfort as it pertains to social media, so the choice to hide likes will remain completely optional for users. Ultimately, the goal is for people to have a positive online experience that is unique to their needs.

If you enjoyed this story, read about how you can have your pronouns added to your bio on Instagram here.

TOPICS:  Instagram Mental Health Social Media

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