- Two ways to hide likes on Instagram
- How to hide like counts on other people's posts
- How to hide likes on your own Instagram post before sharing
- Hide likes on a post you've already shared
- What hiding likes does and doesn't do
- Should a business account hide likes?
- If you can't find the hide likes option on Instagram
- A quick checklist for hiding likes on Instagram
- Frequently asked questions
To hide likes on Instagram, open Settings, choose Like and share counts under What you see and turn on Hide like and share counts. To hide counts on your own post, use Advanced settings on the share screen before posting. You'll still see your own total.
Instagram gives you two separate controls over likes, and people mix them up all the time. One decides whether you see like counts on other people's posts. The other decides whether other people see the like and view counts on your own posts. They live in different places and do different jobs. This guide follows Instagram's help article called Hide or unhide like counts on Instagram posts and reels. Menus vary by app version and by account, so if a label on your screen is different, use Instagram's Help Centre search for the same article title.
Two ways to hide likes on Instagram
| What you want | Where you change it | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Stop seeing like counts on posts in your feed | Settings, then Like and share counts | Only what you see |
| Hide the counts on a post you're about to share | Advanced settings on the share screen | What others see on that post |
| Hide the counts on a post you've already shared | The options for that post | What others see on that post |
In both cases you can still see the total number of likes on your own posts. Instagram's help page says so directly.
How to hide like counts on other people's posts
This is the setting for scrolling without the number race. It only changes your own view.
- Open Instagram and tap the More icon at the bottom left (on a computer, click More in the bottom left).
- Tap Settings.
- Under What you see, choose Like and share counts.
- Turn on Hide like and share counts.
To bring the counts back, return to the same screen and turn the option off. Older guides describe this setting under Settings, then Privacy, then Posts. Instagram has moved it more than once, which is why menus vary by app version.
How to hide likes on your own Instagram post before sharing
You can choose before you publish. This is handy if you'd rather people focus on the picture or the caption than the numbers.
- Start a new post and get to the final share screen.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Advanced settings.
- Turn on Hide like and view counts on this post.
- Share the post as normal.
Hide likes on a post you've already shared
Instagram's help article has a separate section for posts that are already live, but I couldn't read the wording of those steps in full. In the app, the place to look is the options menu on the post itself, usually the three dots, where there's an option to hide the like count and a matching one to show it again. If you don't see it, open the help article and read that section for your device.
What hiding likes does and doesn't do
- It hides the like and view counts from other people looking at that post, according to Instagram's help page.
- It doesn't stop people liking the post. They can still tap the heart, and you can still see the total.
- Instagram says that if your profile is private, your approved followers can see likes on your posts.
- It doesn't remove comments or change who can see the post.
If your worry's about who can see what you've liked, that's a different question, and I've covered it in my guide on whether people can see your Instagram likes.
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Should a business account hide likes?
Here's the honest answer: I haven't found a source that says hiding likes raises or lowers reach, so I won't claim either. What I can say is how it plays out for a small business. Visible likes act as social proof for new visitors, but they also expose a quiet post. Hiding them takes pressure off you and takes a quick signal away from them. Plenty of people still care about numbers, which I looked at in whether Instagram likes still matter. A sensible approach is to hide counts on posts where the message matters more than the response, such as a personal story or a sensitive subject, and leave them on for ordinary promotional posts.
If you can't find the hide likes option on Instagram
- Update the app, because the setting has moved between menus over time.
- Check which account you're in, because personal and business accounts can look different.
- Look in Advanced settings on the share screen for your own new posts, since the setting isn't in the main settings menu.
- Search the Instagram Help Centre for the article title above.
- Remember that features roll out gradually, so you might not have a new option yet.
A quick checklist for hiding likes on Instagram
- Decide whether you want to change what you see or what others see.
- For your own feed, use Settings, then Like and share counts.
- For a new post, use Advanced settings before sharing.
- For an existing post, use that post's options menu.
- Check the post afterwards from another account if you can, to make sure the count's hidden.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hide likes on all my Instagram posts at once?
Instagram's help page describes the setting per post, and a separate feed setting for what you see. It doesn't describe a single switch for all your own posts.
Will I still see how many likes I got?
Yes. Instagram's help page says you can still see the total number of likes on your own posts.
Does hiding likes affect my reach?
I couldn't find a source that says it does, so I can't tell you either way.
Can I show the like count again later?
Yes. Turn the same option off, either in Settings for your feed or in the post's options for your own post.
Why don't my menus match this guide?
Menus vary by app version and rollout. Search the Instagram Help Centre for Hide or unhide like counts on Instagram posts and reels.
