How to Hide Instagram Likes and Facebook Reacts

Social Media Alert! You now have the option to hide both Instagram likes and Facebook reacts. Instagram has automatically turned the like feature on. If you’d like to hide likes and reacts, you therefore need to actively switch these toggles off under Facebook and Instagram settings.

In 2019, Instagram implemented a test to hide likes. This came as a result of Instagram being labelled as the social media platform with the most negative effect on mental health and body image.

Instagram took action to depressurise the platform by minimising competition that can occur through comparing likes. The goal was to enable users to build connections with one another through sharing content that inspires them as opposed to posting content most likely to get likes.

After more than a year and a half of testing, Instagram has discovered the effects weren’t to the extent they were expecting. Some people, businesses and content creators preferred to show their own likes and see others likes. And in many cases, users actually received less likes as people thought ahh, =why bother to like pictures if it isn’t visible.

Instagram is now satisfying both sides of the spectrum by allowing users to actively hide their own likes and additionally hide other people’s likes from their own view. As Facebook and Instagram are owned by the same company, Facebook also has the option to hide reacts!

How to hide Instagram likes on your profile:

• Create post
• Pick image
• Click Next
• Go the very bottom of this section then click Advanced Settings
• Click the toggle for Hide Like and View Counts on This Post

How to hide Instagram likes on other users’ posts:

You also have the ability to hide other users’ likes even if they haven’t chosen to hide their own likes. Instagram has chosen this option to allow people to avoid comparison if this affects their mental health.

• Go into Instagram Settings.
• Click Privacy
• Then Posts
• Click the toggle for Hide Like and View Counts

How to hide Facebook reacts:

• Click the down arrow in the top right corner of your page
• Go into Settings & Privacy
• Then Newsfeed Preferences
• Click Reaction Preferences
• Turn the toggle on to hide likes
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