Instagram begins hiding likes globally
As of today, some users will no longer be able to see the number of likes on photos.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Instagram is hiding likes.
After Instagram said last week that it would extend hiding likes to the US, its users globally were hit with the change Thursday. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said it's all about changing how people, especially young users, feel about the social media platform.
"Today a small portion of people on Instagram worldwide will no longer be able to see the number of likes other people's photos get," Mosseri tweeted Thursday afternoon.
You'll still be able to see how many people have liked your own photos, though.
Facebook-owned Instagram began testing hiding likes earlier this year. In August, Facebook said the Instagram test was meant to "remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive" on Instagram, and that Facebook was "excited by the early test results."
The social media giant then began hiding likes on Facebook as of Sept. 27, making the number of reactions, views and likes visible only to a post's author. The test kicked off in Australia, and includes ads.
At the time, Facebook added that it would "gather feedback to understand whether this change will improve people's experiences."
