Want to hide likes on Instagram but unsure which counts the setting changes? Instagram separates the counts you see on other people’s posts from the counts other people see on yours. Here’s how to choose the right control, with one navigation catch to know before you start.
Hide like counts in your feed
Use the feed option when you want to stop seeing like counts on other people’s posts. It controls what you see while browsing.
In the Instagram app on iPhone or Android, tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right, then tap Menu in the top right. On iPad, tap your profile picture on the left, then tap Menu in the top right.
Below What you see, tap Like and share counts, then turn on Hide like & share counts. Turn it off again whenever you want the counts back.
On a computer, click More in the bottom left, then Settings, and follow the same What you see → Like and share counts path. In a mobile browser, tap your profile picture in the bottom right, tap Settings in the top left, then do the same.
Meta describes the feed option as available to everyone. It applies to the posts and reels you see from other accounts.
Keep the scope of this preference in mind when choosing it. Hiding counts on other people’s feed posts should not be treated as a setting that also hides counts on all your own posts.
Make your own posts’ counts private
Choose the post whose like count you want to hide from other people.
Before sharing a new post in the iPhone, iPad or Android app, tap More options at the bottom of the sharing screen and turn on Hide like counts on this post. On a computer, click Advanced settings at the bottom and turn on Hide like and view counts on this post.
For a post you have already shared, tap or click Options in the top right of the post. In the iPhone and Android apps, choose Hide like count to others. On a computer, choose Hide like count. The matching Unhide option shows the count again, and you can still see the total number of likes on your own posts.
Keep your feed preference separate: it controls counts on other people’s posts.
Meta also describes the option for your own posts as available to everyone. It hides your posts’ like counts from other people.
If you are deciding when to make that choice, Meta’s May 2021 announcement described hiding counts before publishing and changing the choice afterward. Instagram still works that way: you can set it on the sharing screen and change it later from the post’s Options menu.
When you want both changes
Both controls together address the counts you see and the counts others see on your posts.
Choose the feed preference to hide counts on other people’s posts.
Use the separate control for your own posts to hide their counts from other people.
Treat these as separate choices even when you want both outcomes. The feed preference addresses your view of other people’s posts, while the control for your posts addresses what other people can see.
Why older instructions point to Settings
If instructions send you to Settings and then Posts, they describe Instagram’s May 2021 interface. Meta still documents both hiding options, and the feed setting now sits under What you see → Like and share counts.
Treat Settings → Posts as historical navigation, not a current set of steps.
The older announcement connected that route specifically to hiding counts on other people’s feed posts. It also discussed hiding your own posts’ counts, but did not supply complete menu paths for doing so before or after publication.
The historical status applies to those instructions. It does not mean Meta announced that the count-hiding feature was discontinued; its current Safety Center still describes both options.
Find the steps for your device
Meta gives separate steps for the iPhone, Android and iPad apps, computers, and mobile browsers. The feed setting sits under What you see → Like and share counts on all of them. Meta’s help article does not include steps for Instagram Lite.
Button labels differ between platforms, so follow the steps for the device you are using. Meta does not list minimum app versions. For your own posts, Meta’s iPad steps cover only the choice before sharing, and its mobile browser steps cover only the feed setting.
Meta’s help article covers posts and reels, and the feed setting applies to the reels you see as well as posts. Its steps for your own content are written for posts you share, and Meta does not describe a separate screen for Reels.
Keep your choice focused on like counts
Decide whether you want to hide counts in your feed, counts on your own posts, or both.
Match that choice to the corresponding Instagram control.
View counts depend on which option you use. Meta says the choice you make before sharing controls whether others see like and view counts for that post, and on a computer the toggle reads Hide like and view counts on this post. In the iPhone, iPad and Android apps the same toggle reads Hide like counts on this post, and the option for a post you have already shared names only the like count.
Professional accounts have a separate view-count control. Turn on Hide view counts under View counts on profile and no one can see view counts on your Reels tab.
No additional app or download is required, because both options are built into Instagram’s own settings and post menus.
You don’t need to uninstall Instagram, delete content, or restrict your audience to hide like counts. Instagram’s dedicated options are the feed setting and the control on your own posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can everyone hide like counts on Instagram?
Meta describes both options as available to everyone.
Do I need to download another app to hide Instagram like counts?
No additional app or download is required for Instagram’s count-hiding controls.
Did Instagram originally let you change your choice after publishing?
Yes. Meta’s May 2021 announcement described hiding counts before publishing and changing that choice afterward. It did not provide complete menu paths.