The short answer
Instagram has two separate settings. One hides the like count on your posts. The other hides like counts on other people’s posts in your feed. Neither one hides the fact that you liked something. We cover all three below.
How to hide your likes on Instagram (posts you already shared)
This hides the number on one post. You can still see it yourself.
- Open the post on your profile.
- Tap the three dots in the top right.
- Tap Hide like count.
Want the number back? Open the same menu and tap Unhide like count. You can switch it as often as you like.
There is no single switch for every old post. You do it one post at a time.
How to turn off likes before you post
You can set this on the share screen, so you never have to go back.
- Make your post as usual.
- On the last screen, tap Advanced settings at the bottom.
- Turn on Hide like and view counts on this post.
- Share.
For Reels the same option lives in the share screen under More options.
How to hide like counts on other people’s posts
This changes what you see in your own feed. It does not touch your posts.
- Go to your profile and tap the menu (three lines).
- Tap Settings and activity.
- Scroll to What you see and tap Like and share counts.
- Turn on Hide like and share counts.
Now posts in your feed show “Liked by name and others” with no number. Many people find their feed calmer this way.
What others still see when you hide likes
People still see:
- The post, the caption and the comments.
- “Liked by” with one name and the word “others”.
- Their own like, if they liked it.
People do not see:
- The total like count.
- The full list of who liked it. Only you can open that.
Hiding the count does not stop likes. It only hides the number. Instagram says the setting has no effect on reach.
Can people see what I liked?
This is the question people often mean. The answer is no, not as a list.
Instagram once had a Following tab in Activity. It showed what your friends liked. That tab was removed in 2019. Today, nobody can pull up a list of posts you liked. Your own list is under Settings and activity → Your activity → Likes, and only you can see it.
The one way someone can spot your like is by opening a post and scrolling the likers. On a public post, anyone can do that. If the like count is hidden, only the post owner can open the list.
Why hide your like count?
From working with accounts every day, we see three common reasons:
- A low number on a new post feels bad, so people delete the post. Hiding the count removes that pressure.
- Creators want viewers to judge the content, not the number.
- Some people just want a quieter feed.
If the real goal is more likes, not hidden likes, the long way is steady posting and good captions. Our guide on how to get more followers on Instagram covers what works. Famoid also sells Instagram likes that arrive paced over time. We only need your username, never your password.
Related privacy settings
Hiding likes is one small part of your privacy settings. You might also want to hide your followers, which works differently. For the full list of what Instagram lets you hide, see the Instagram Help Center.