Instagram To Hide Like Count Feature In Its Upcoming Update?

Facebook and Instagram are known for updating new features every day. The photo-sharing application seems to have tested yet another feature. In this new feature, Instagram users would not be able to see the like count of anyone even their followers too. If this feature implemented, only those who share the post can be able to see the total number of like he or she gets.

Instagram states, “We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get. During this test, only the person who shares a post will see the total number of likes it gets.”

Confirming the features, they have told TechCrunch  that it’s an internal test the public can’t see — yet. It also didn’t hide follower counts, which more commonly measure one’s popularity, nor did it appear to impact the way posts are ranked by Instagram’s inescapable algorithmic feed. Still, at least we’d never have to hear about the ‘most-liked

This to-be Instagram feature might reduce herd mentality, where people on social media just Like what already has been liked by thousands of people. It is also likely to reduce the sense of competition on Instagram since users won’t compare their own counts with those of more popular friends or superstar creators.

It could be an inspiration, as it might encourage creators to post what feels most authentic rather than trying to rack of Likes for everyone to see.

In the above picture, you can see post lacks a Like count, but still shows a few faces and a name of other people who’ve pressed the Like button. Users are alerted that only they’ll see their post’s Like counts, and anyone else won’t. Hiding Like counts feature could get users posting more since they’ll be less self-conscious.

An Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that this design is an internal prototype that’s not visible to the public yet. A spokesperson told us: “We’re not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we’re always thinking about.”

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