Why Is Instagram Hiding Likes In The U.S.? (And What You Need To Know)

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Last Updated: Dec 1, 2023

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How do you feel about Instagram hiding likes?

While not all Instagram users have this new update, many users do — and while the platform’s decision to conceal like counts is beneficial in some ways, it makes Instagram marketing harder in others.

Let’s break down the why of Instagram hiding likes, what the ramifications are, and how you can continue to effectively market your brand and see Instagram growth.

Instagram Hiding Likes Worldwide

Instagram launched an experiment to test a feed without likes to depressurize people’s experiences on Instagram and give them more space to focus on connection rather than competition.

Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, made this clear when he said the platform wanted to eliminate the “competition momentum” to create a healthier environment. 

Instagram started hiding likes in Canada in 2019, then in 2021, the platform rolled out the option worldwide. The likes were never completely gone, though.

Your followers won’t see your likes, but you can still see how many likes your posts get. 

After two years, Instagram announced on May 2021 that hiding likes was beneficial for some people but annoying for others since people use like counts to determine what’s popular or trending. It was also found that removing likes does not meaningfully depressurize the Instagram experience.

That said, likes will remain viewable by default, and everyone on the platform can hide their public like counts, so they can decide what works for them.

Ultimately, Instagram wants people to focus on sharing their interests through photos and videos, instead of obsessing over how many likes posts get. 

Since Instagram constantly seeks more ways to give people control over their user experience, new tools were launched to filter offensive content from DMs.

Users now have ways to control what they see and share on Facebook’s News Feed, including the Feed Filter Bar, Favorites Feed, and Choose Who Can Comment. 

Instagram experiences vary from person to person, and people’s needs are ever-changing.

As part of our quest to empower people, build self-awareness, and shape a more positive experience, Instagram works closely with third-party experts.

Why Does Instagram Hide Likes?

The idea behind this new update is that creators might be more empowered to create if the number of likes they receive is not on display.

Think about it: Likes tend to create an atmosphere of competition and even shame, with creators often deleting a piece of content if it didn’t do “well enough” among the user’s Instagram followers. Instead of making Instagram a competition to see who has the most popular account, hiding likes might help Instagram users relax and enjoy creating content.

“The idea is to try and depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition, give people more space to focus on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them,” Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said.

With the new update of Instagram hiding likes, you’ll still be able to see your own like count. It’s only other users who won’t be privy to that information.

When you’re scrolling through your feed, you will not see the total number of likes and views on posts unless those posts are your own. Instead, you’ll see the names of a few mutual friends — for instance, “liked by and others.”

According to CNN, you can still scroll through the list of accounts who liked the post by tapping on “others.” 

The action of liking a post won’t change. You can still “like” somebody’s post by double tapping it or touching the heart on the bottom left. You just won’t see the total number of likes tick up. 

Who Will This Affect?

As the company itself acknowledged, Instagram hiding likes will certainly affect influencers and brands who are trying to do business on Instagram.

Likes are a big part of a brand’s marketing strategy because they offer social proof (if a hundred thousand people like your product photo, the product must be pretty good!). Taking this feature away might have a negative effect on brands’ Instagram followers.

But if you’re an influencer or brand, don’t worry. You can still see Instagram growth even without visible likes as long as you stay active on the platform.

There are other methods of engagement, too — such as talking with users through comments, DM’s, or through the interactive options on Instagram Stories.

Engagement is still an important way to expand your reach, and since you’ll still get a notification when someone likes your photo, engagement rate will remain an important metric to track.

Posting high-quality content can help your engagement rate continue to rise. Professional photos and graphics with humorous and/or interesting captions will draw the attention of your followers and help them engage with your content.

Focus on curating a cohesive feed with images that are on-brand and visually pleasing, and post videos in addition to photos. Instagram Stories, which don’t involve likes, is also a great place to get more engagement thanks to the many interactive features.

In addition to posting top-notch content, you can grow your account through other methods outside of likes, too — such as having a solid hashtag strategy, using geotags, and tapping into the power of influencer marketing.

If you use an influencer marketing platform to find people to work with, they’ll still be able to see your engagement rate, too.

Services such as Upfluence or Modash are a good way to get the inside scoop on an influencer you’re considering even if you can’t see the number of likes on that influencer’s profile. There are plenty of ways to grow your Instagram followers even with Instagram hiding likes.

Services like Kicksta can help increase your engagement and get your brand out there.

Once you sign up and provide all the information, Kicksta finds and engages Instagram accounts that fit your niche to gain the kind of followers you want.

You’ll get more followers and engagement from people who see your account in their notifications. It’s simple: Kicksta lets you pick targets to ensure you reach the right people. 

Having over 8 years of experience with Instagram growth, Kicksta knows exactly how to engage your target audience. Its AI-powered technology builds brand presence and grows a genuine audience without fake accounts, bots, or spam.

The bottom line with Instagram hiding likes is that you need to focus on engagement marketing and content creation to gain followers since people will no longer be looking at your number of likes.

It might take a little extra work, but you can still grow your number of Instagram followers by focusing on your content creation and using other Instagram growth tactics.

Instagram Growth Is Still Possible

Instagram hiding likes might come as a surprise, and Instagram users certainly have mixed feelings about the decision.

However you feel about this new update, it’s now a reality for many Instagram users — and although it might take a little more work to get the Instagram growth you need to see, it’s still 100 percent possible to succeed on Instagram.

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