After experimenting with the “Private Like Counts” feature for posts, Instagram is letting users decide whether to enable or disable the feature. As part of a small global test, Instagram is giving its users three options when it comes to like count.
The three options that Instagram is offering its users are: turn off like counts for their own posts, not see like counts on anyone’s posts or stick to the existing format. According to a TechCrunch report, Facebook will also begin a similar experiment on its platform soon.
To recall, Instagram expanded its “Private Like Counts” or hide like counts test globally in 2019. In the test, users can still privately see the number of likes they have received on a particular post, but the like count will not be visible to others. Likewise, users will also not be able to see how many likes others’ posts have received.
Instagram said the idea is for users to “focus on the photos and videos they share, not how many likes they get.” “We don’t want people to feel like it’s a contest. Instagram should be about expression, Vishal Shah, Vice President of Product, Instagram said.
While the previous experiment did not give users any choice in terms of whether to disable or enable the feature as per their wish; the latest test does. “But during tests, not everyone agreed the removal of Likes was a change for the better. Some people said they still wanted to see Like counts so they could track what was trending and popular,” a TechCrunch report read.
The option to hide likes will appear in Instagram Settings. Creators will be able to hide likes for specific posts as well, by clicking on the three dot menu. However, do keep in mind that this is a small test rolling out for only a small percentage of Instagram users globally, so the feature might not be available to everyone.
