How to hide likes on Instagram, both ways

To hide the like count on an Instagram post you already shared, open the post, tap the three dots, and tap Hide like count. Visitors then see “Liked by name and others” instead of a number. You still see the full count yourself (Instagram Help).

To hide which posts you liked, there is less to do than you think. Instagram keeps no public list of your likes. The only place your name appears is under a post, and only to people who also follow that account.

This guide covers both meanings, step by step, and then answers the question most people really have. Does hiding likes change how many people see your post? No, and we explain why.

Two things “hide likes” can mean

People type “how to hide likes on Instagram” for two different reasons. Sort out which one you mean before you change any setting.

What you want	Where the setting lives	What others see afterwards
Hide the like count on your own posts and Reels	The three dots on each post	“Liked by name and others”, no number
Hide like counts on posts in your feed	Settings and privacy, What you see	No numbers on other people’s posts, for you only
Hide which posts you liked	No public list exists	Your name under a post, only to shared followers

Instagram rolled out the option to hide like counts to everyone in May 2021, in an update it called “Giving people more control” (Instagram announcement). Before that, the count showed on every post whether you liked it or not.

How to hide the like count on a post you already shared

This is the most common request. It takes about five seconds (Instagram Help, “Hide or unhide like counts”).

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
2. Tap the post or Reel you want to change.
3. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post.
4. Tap Hide like count.

The number vanishes for everyone else at once. You still see it when you open the post yourself, and the names of people who liked it are still there for anyone who taps the “Liked by” line.

The same steps work on a Reel. Open the Reel from your profile grid, tap the three dots, and tap Hide like count. On Reels the toggle also hides the view count from visitors.

How to hide likes on a new post before you share it

Set this before sharing if you want the count hidden from the start (Instagram Help).

1. Create your post or Reel as usual and tap Next until you reach the final screen.
2. Scroll down and tap Advanced settings.
3. Turn on “Hide like and view counts on this post”.
4. Go back and tap Share.

This setting applies only to that one post. Instagram does not offer a switch that hides the count on every future post you make. You set it each time.

How to unhide likes on Instagram

You can reverse the choice at any time and as often as you want (Instagram Help).

1. Open the post.
2. Tap the three dots.
3. Tap Unhide like count.

The number returns for everyone right away. Your followers do not get a notification either way.

How to hide like counts on posts you see

This one confuses people because it lives in a different menu and changes nothing about your own posts. It hides counts on other people’s posts in your feed, and only on your screen (Instagram Help).

1. Go to your profile and tap the menu, the three lines in the top right corner.
2. Tap Settings and privacy.
3. Under What you see, tap Like and share counts.
4. Turn the toggle on.

From then on you see “Liked by name and others” on every post, unless the poster left the count visible on purpose. The counts still exist. You just stop seeing them.

How to hide which posts you liked

Here is the honest version. Instagram has no page where another person can browse every post you liked. Your own list, under Your activity and then Likes, is private to you (Instagram Help, “Manage who can see your likes on content”).

What people can see is smaller than most fear. If a friend follows the same account you do, they may see “Liked by your name” under that account’s post. That is the whole footprint.

Instagram Help has a page called “Manage who can see your likes on content” that covers the controls for likes on posts, Reels and comments. It also notes that the Reels “liked by” line, Notes and Threads each have their own settings. Check that page for the current layout, because Instagram moves these menus often.

If you want a like to leave no trace at all, there is one sure way. Unlike the post. Once you do, your name drops off the “Liked by” line for everyone.

Watch out: apps and websites that promise to make your likes fully private, or to show you who looked at your likes, need your password to do anything. Instagram offers neither feature. Giving your login to a third party is how accounts get stolen.

Does hiding likes change reach?

No. This is the part of the question that matters most, and Instagram has answered it. In its 2023 post on how ranking works, Instagram lists likes as one of the signals its systems use. The signal is the like itself, not the number shown under the post.

So when you hide the count, two things stay the same. Instagram still counts every like your post gets. And the ranking system still uses those likes to decide who sees the post next. What changes is only what a visitor sees when they scroll past.

There is one real effect, and it is about people, not the algorithm. A big visible number is social proof. A stranger who lands on a post with 800 likes treats it differently from one that says “Liked by amir and others”. Hide the count and that nudge is gone. Whether that matters depends on why you post.

Business accounts still see every number

If you run a business or creator account, hiding likes changes nothing in your reporting. Instagram Help (“About like counts for businesses”) states that hidden like counts still appear in Insights and in ads reporting. Your team, and anyone you run ads with, keeps the full data.

The same applies to the ranking signals. Instagram treats a like on a hidden-count post exactly like a like on any other post.

Where bought likes fit

We sell Instagram likes from $2.95, and automatic likes from $79.95 a month for 50 likes on every new post for 30 days. Here is how that squares with hiding counts.

Bought likes still count in Insights and in the ranking signals even when the count is hidden. What they lose is the social proof effect. The whole point of a bigger number is that a visitor sees it. If you hide the count, nobody sees it, so buy likes for proof only if you plan to leave counts visible. Our guide on how to get more likes on Instagram covers the free ways to raise the number first.

If you want to test the effect before paying, our free Instagram likes trial gives 50 likes on one post, once per person, with no card and no password.

For the full picture on what stays visible on your profile, including views, see who can see your Instagram views.

Tip: if you hide the count on a post that is doing well, you can unhide it later. Nothing is lost. Many creators hide counts on personal posts and leave them visible on posts they want to show off.

A quick checklist

• Decide which “hide likes” you mean before you open a menu. Your posts, your feed, or your own likes.
• On an existing post: three dots, Hide like count.
• On a new post: Advanced settings, then turn on Hide like and view counts.
• For other people’s posts: Settings and privacy, What you see, Like and share counts.
• For your own likes: remember there is no public list. Unlike a post to remove your name from it.
• If you buy likes, leave the count visible, or the money buys nothing a visitor can see.