For some time now, Instagram has been testing hiding public like counts on posts. Starting Wednesday, a user-controlled version of that feature will be made available for everyone on Instagram and Facebook.
Per a press release shared Wednesday, the testing phase of the hidden like counts feature found that it was a “beneficial” change for some users, while others—specifically those who use public like counts to gauge popularity—gave a less enthusiastic response. Due to this, choosing whether to hide public like counts will be in the hands of each individual user.
Users will now be able to hide public like counts on all posts in their feed, as well as hide like counts on their own posts. To hide like counts on other users’ posts, users need only to visit the new Posts section under the Settings tab. Turning this feature on will hide like and view counts for all posts in a feed.
Instagram users will also have the option to hide like counts prior to sharing an individual post, with the added benefit of being able to toggle this setting on or off, even after a post is published. In the coming weeks, these features will also be incorporated into the presumably still exhausting experience of being on Facebook.
In April, Instagram unveiled a new feature aimed at protecting users from abusive DM requests. That feature also made possible the restriction of blocked users from attempting to make contact using newly created accounts.
Other recent Instagram updates include blocking adult users from messaging minors who aren’t following them.
