Privacy and account settings
How to hide likes on Instagram: yours and others'
Turn off like counts on other people's posts, or hide the number on your own. Steps for both, plus what hiding changes and what stays visible.
· 7 min read
In this guide · 8 sections
Two settings that do different jobs
Instagram has two separate controls for like counts, and most confusion comes from mixing them up. To stop seeing like counts on everyone else's posts, turn on Hide like and share counts in Settings. To hide the number on your own post from everyone else, switch on Hide like and view counts on this post before you share it, or use the post's ··· menu afterwards. Neither deletes any likes, and neither hides who liked a post.
| Question | Other people's posts | Your own posts |
|---|---|---|
| Where the switch is | Settings, under What you see, in Like and share counts | On each post: before sharing, or in the ··· menu afterwards |
| Who notices | Only you; everyone else still sees the numbers | Everyone who views the post, except you |
| How much it covers | Every post and reel from other accounts | One post at a time; there's no switch for all of them |
| What you still see | The counts on your own posts | Your full total, and your insights |
| Can you undo it? | Yes, at any time | Yes, post by post |
Hide like counts on other people's posts
This changes only what you see. Nobody is told you've turned the numbers off, and your own posts keep showing their counts to you.
In the app
- Go to your profile and tap the menu (☰) in the top right.
- Scroll to What you see and tap Like and share counts.
- Turn on Hide like and share counts. Some versions write it as Hide like & share counts.
On a computer
- On instagram.com, click More (☰) at the bottom left, then Settings.
- Under What you see, click Like and share counts.
- Switch on Hide like and share counts.
From then on, posts and reels from other accounts show a name instead of a total, such as “Liked by jun.paints and others”, and share counts are hidden as well.
Tip: Can't find What you see? Menus move between versions. Update the app, then type “like” into the search bar at the top of Settings.
Hide the like count on your own posts
For your own posts there's no account-wide switch, so you choose post by post. The steps are much the same for photo posts, carousels and reels, though labels can differ slightly.
Before you share
- Create the post or reel as usual and carry on to the screen where you write the caption.
- Tap More options at the bottom. Instagram's help article calls it Advanced settings on a computer.
- Turn on Hide like counts on this post. The computer version of the article names it Hide like and view counts on this post.
- Go back and share. The post goes up with the counts already hidden.
After it's posted
- Open the post or reel on your profile.
- Tap ··· to open its menu.
- Choose the option to hide the like count. The wording changes between versions, and the same menu brings the number back later.
Tip: If you want every post hidden, make the toggle part of your posting routine. Instagram doesn't remember it for the next post, and older posts have to be changed one at a time.
What hiding changes, and what it doesn't
On a post with a hidden count, viewers see “Liked by”, one name and “others”, with no total. Because the switch you set before sharing covers views as well, a hidden reel or video doesn't show its view count to other people either.
The list of people is still there. Tapping “others” can open the accounts that liked the post, so a determined visitor could count them by hand. Comments stay visible too, including how many there are. If it's comments you'd rather keep quiet, you can turn off commenting on a post from the same menus, or limit who can comment in Settings.
- Your likes aren't deleted, and people can keep liking the post.
- You still see the total on your own posts: open the likes under the post to see it.
- Professional accounts see likes in each post's insights as usual, alongside reach, saves and shares.
- Nobody gets a notification when you hide or show a count.
- Your follower and following counts stay public. Instagram has no setting to hide them.
Can you hide which posts you've liked?
Not really. Your username appears in the likes list of every post you like, and anyone who opens that list can see it. A private account doesn't change this: your name still shows, people just can't see your own posts unless you approve them.
What's gone is the feed of likes. Instagram once had a Following tab that showed what the people you follow were liking. It was removed in 2019, so nobody can browse all your likes in one place.
If you'd rather a like wasn't there, take it back. Tap the heart again on a single post. To clear several, open Your activity from the profile menu, find Likes (older versions put it under Interactions), tap Select and unlike them together.
Hiding reaction counts on Facebook
Facebook offers a similar choice for reactions. In Facebook's settings, look for reaction preferences: there you can hide the totals on posts from other people, on your own posts, or both. Menus vary between versions and between the app and the website, so if you can't find it, search the settings for “reaction”.
As on Instagram, it only hides the numbers. The reactions themselves still happen, and the people who reacted are still part of the post.
Should you hide your like counts?
Instagram made hidden counts a choice in 2021 after testing them for a couple of years, because people were split: some found the numbers stressful, others relied on them to see what was popular. The same split shows up between kinds of account.
- Personal accounts: hiding counts on other people's posts is the change most people notice. It's harder to compare yourself with everyone else when there's no number to compare.
- Your own posts: useful when you're trying a new style or sharing something personal, and don't want a small number to be the first thing people see.
- Creators: brands usually ask for insights screenshots anyway, so hiding doesn't keep results from partners. It does stop outsiders working out your engagement rate from your profile.
- Shops and businesses: a busy like count can reassure a new customer, so think twice before hiding it on product posts. Hide it on experiments instead.
There's little risk in trying it. Both switches can be turned back at any time, and hidden likes still count in your insights.
Questions people ask
Can I hide likes on all my Instagram posts at once?
Not for your own posts. Instagram sets that post by post, so switch on Hide like and view counts on this post before sharing each one, and change older posts one at a time from their ··· menu. The one switch that covers every post only changes what you see on other accounts.
Can I still see how many likes my post got?
Yes. Hiding the count only affects other people. Open the likes under your post to see the total, and on a professional account the post's insights show it too.
Will people know I hid my like count?
They aren't told. They see “Liked by” a name and “others” instead of a number, which is also what people who switched counts off for themselves see everywhere, so it doesn't single you out.
Does hiding likes also hide views on reels?
For your own reels, yes: the option you set before sharing is called Hide like and view counts on this post. On other people's reels, the Hide like and share counts setting covers likes and shares.
Why can't I find the setting to hide likes?
Instagram moves its menus between versions. Update the app and search Settings for “like”. For your own posts, the toggle sits under More options (Advanced settings on a computer), on the screen where you write the caption.
Can people see the posts I've liked?
Only one post at a time: your name shows in the likes list of any post you liked, for anyone who opens it. There's no tab listing your likes for others to browse. To remove a like, tap the heart again or clear several from Your activity.