How to Hide Like Count on Instagram Posts and Reels

Instagram: Show or Hide Like and View Counts on Your Posts and Reels
How to Hide Like Count on Instagram Posts and Reels
Written By:
Asha Kiran Kumar
Reviewed By:
Radhika Rajeev
Published on

Key Takeaways: 

  • Users can hide or show likes and view counts at any time. Instagram allows full control over the visibility of users’ posts and reels.

  • The settings work both ways. The counts on your own posts can be hidden before they are published, and you can stop seeing counts on others’ posts in the feed.

  • The feature reduces social pressure. It helps users focus more on content rather than making numbers on public engagement.

Instagram provides built-in options to hide like counts on posts and reels. This feature hides numbers. This can reduce the stress that comes with comparison and highlight genuine engagement, such as comments. 

Users can access their own numbers from the Insights tab. This works for both old and new content. Users can further personalize their experience by not only hiding numbers on their own posts but also on others' posts in their feed. 

Reasons to Use this Feature

The pressure of getting more likes on a post often compromises its quality. Making sure that you cannot see the number of likes helps the post stand on its own value. Engagement can happen through other features on the platform, like replies and shares. 

Creators can track their performance in private without the public numbers influencing how others and they themselves see their work. The tool is available worldwide and has had no major updates in recent years. Individual casual users and young brands trying to make their presence can benefit from calmer scrolling.  

Also Read: Top 10 NFT Influencers on Instagram to Follow in 2026

Detailed Steps for New Posts or Reels

Choose and prepare your photo, video, or reel with edits, captions, and tags. Just before posting on the share screen, find the ‘More options’ button or ‘Advanced settings’ near the bottom. Selecting it will reveal extra features. Locate the ‘Likes and plays/views' section and switch on ‘Hide like count’ for just hiding the likes, or ‘Hide like and view counts' if posting multiple photos or carousels. A quick preview shows how it appears to others. Review all content, including location tags and alt text. Press ‘Share’ and go live. 

The modification applies immediately to profiles, feeds, explore sections, and hashtag feeds. For Reels, a simple toggle masks both likes and play totals, which could actually lead to more views. Test with a draft post first if unsure. Though the changes are locked when a post is published, it is easy enough to change them later.

How to Update Existing Posts or Reels

Switch to the ‘Profile’ tab at the bottom bar of the app's interface. Scroll the content gridand tap the target post or reel for full-screen mode. Locate the three dots icon on the top right of the screen. Tap to reveal the menu and scroll down to select ‘Hide like count.’ The update gets processed in seconds, removing numbers for every viewer, including followers and visitors. No notifications are sent to others to alert them of the switch.

The counts can be viewed in ‘Personal Insights’ at any time for analysis. The same can be done for multiple items by repeating the process or by using bulk select, if the app offers the option in grid view. Long-pressing thumbnails sometimes enables faster hiding for posts in batches. This method works on anything posted before, even from years ago.

Steps to Restore Like Counts

Return to the post or reel on the profile. Tap the three dots on the top right and click ‘Unhide like count’ from the list. Numbers reappear instantly for all audiences. For upcoming content, revisit Advanced settings on the share screen and toggle the option off. Users can choose to mix visible and hidden posts on their profile. What type of content performs well with viewers can be analysed privately. 

Also Read: Top 7 Sites to Buy Instagram Views (2026 Guide)

Control Likes on Others' Content

Hiding numbers can make feeds cleaner across the app. 

Open ‘Profile’ and tap the three-line menu icon on the top right. ‘Choose Settings and privacy’ from the list and go into the ‘Privacy’ section. Find ‘Posts’ or use the search bar for "like counts." Toggle on ‘Hide like and view counts on posts.’ This removes figures from all feeds, explore recommendations, story highlights, and reels on your timeline posted by other accounts. The feature can be turned off at any time using the same steps. 

Key Details and Tips

Though mobile apps on iOS and Android support all editing options on Instagram for all posts, desktop or web versions are limited to viewing without changes. 

Professional or business accounts can get deeper insights regardless of visibility settings. The algorithm treats hidden posts the same as visible ones, basing reach on saves, replies, and time watched. 

Hiding likes and views will not hinder content reach or discovery. The feature has been available worldwide for the past few years and has remained stable. Experiments with posts and reels can run freely, since this feature works on a post-by-post basis rather than locking it for all content on the account. 

Try updating your profile settings now to refresh your entire Instagram experience. Post with confidence knowing that numbers will stay behind the screens.

FAQs 

1. Can likes and view counts be hidden after a post is published?

Yes. Instagram allows users to hide like counts on existing posts. Open the post, tap the three dots, and choose the option to hide the like count.

2. Does hiding like counts remove likes completely?

No. Likes are still counted internally. The total number is simply hidden from public view. The account owner can still see total engagement in numbers.

3. Can you hide like counts on someone else’s posts?

You cannot change settings for individual posts from other accounts. However, you can adjust your feed settings to stop seeing counts across posts in your feed.

4. Are view counts on reels hidden the same way as post likes?

Yes. Instagram allows users to manage view count visibility on reels in a similar way through post settings and feed preferences.

5. Does hiding likes affect reach or algorithm performance?

No. Hiding like counts does not impact how the algorithm ranks or distributes your content. It only changes what is publicly displayed.

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