Instagram starts tests on hiding the number of likes you get
Instagram could be one step closer to concealing your likes after it announced that it had added more countries as they start testing what would make the likes one gets on their photos invisible.
Likes, which appear as hearts on Instagram, are often used as a measure of popularity.
The test removes the total number of likes on photos and videos, but the owner of the account will still be able to see them.
Likes will not appear on the main feed, profiles or permalink pages, according to Instagram.
“We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get. You can still see your own likes by tapping on the list of people who’ve liked it, but your friends will not be able to see how many likes your post has received,” said Instagram.
We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get. You can still see your own likes by tapping on the list of people who've liked it, but your friends will not be able to see how many likes your post has received.
— Instagram (@instagram) July 17, 2019
In May, the company began testing this in Canada in a move to help reduce pressure to rack up the likes on the platform.
The feature hides users’ public like counts on videos and photos in the Feed, on the web, and within profiles.
In Kenya, according to latest social media survey, it’s the third most used network after WhatsApp and Facebook.