You can hide how many likes your posts receive, and control whether others see likes on posts in your feed
Instagram lets you remove the public like count from your own posts so visitors see your content without a number attached. You can also hide like counts on other people's posts when you're scrolling your feed — the number simply won't display. These are two separate settings, and you control each one independently. The first protects your own posts; the second changes what you see when browsing.
Both settings live in your account preferences and take effect immediately. Hiding your own like counts doesn't delete the data — Instagram still tracks how many people liked your post, and you can see that number yourself in your post insights. It only hides the count from people viewing your profile or feed.
Key Takeaways
- You can hide like counts on your own posts by going to Settings, then Privacy, then Posts, and toggling off "Show Like and View Counts on Your Posts."
- You can hide like counts in your feed (other people's posts) by going to Settings, then Privacy, then Posts, and toggling off "Show Like and View Counts."
- Hiding your like counts does not delete them — you can still see your own engagement numbers in Insights, and Instagram still records all data.
- These settings apply only to your account and your view; hiding your counts does not affect what other people see on their own posts.
How to hide like counts on your own posts
Open Instagram and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. Then tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the top right, and select Settings and Privacy. Tap Privacy, then scroll down and tap Posts. You'll see a toggle labeled "Show Like and View Counts on Your Posts" — turn this toggle off.
Once you turn it off, new posts you create will not display a like count to anyone viewing your profile or feed. The change applies only to posts you make after this point. If you want to hide counts on posts you've already published, you'll need to edit each one individually: go to the post, tap the three dots in the corner, select Edit, and toggle off "Hide Like and View Counts."
Your own view doesn't change. When you open one of your posts, you'll still see the like count and full engagement data. Only people visiting your profile or seeing your post in their feed will see no number.
How to hide like counts in your feed
This setting controls what you see when you're scrolling and looking at other people's posts. Open Instagram, tap your profile icon, then the menu icon, and select Settings and Privacy. Tap Privacy, then Posts. Look for the toggle labeled "Show Like and View Counts" (this is separate from the "on Your Posts" toggle) and turn it off.
After you turn this off, when you scroll your feed or look at someone else's profile, you won't see how many likes their posts have. The like button still works — you can still like posts — but the number won't display. This is purely a visual change for your own experience; it doesn't affect what other people see.
Why people hide like counts
Some people hide their own like counts to reduce social comparison and pressure. Seeing a number attached to your post can create anxiety about whether the content is "performing well," especially if you're comparing your numbers to others. Removing the public count removes that visible metric without removing the actual engagement.
Hiding like counts in your feed serves a similar purpose — it reduces the temptation to judge content (or yourself) based on popularity metrics. Research has suggested that visible like counts can influence how people perceive content and their own self-worth, so some users find that hiding them improves their experience on the platform.
Neither choice is permanent. You can turn these toggles back on at any time if you change your mind.
What you can still see in Insights
Hiding your like counts from the public does not hide them from you. Open any of your posts and tap Insights (on your own posts, this appears below the caption). You'll see the exact number of likes, shares, saves, and comments, along with a breakdown of when people engaged and where they came from.
This data is available only to you — the account owner. Other people cannot see your Insights, even if they follow you. So hiding your like counts publicly does not prevent you from tracking your own engagement if that matters to you.
What happens to old posts when you change this setting
If you turn off "Show Like and View Counts on Your Posts," the setting applies to new posts going forward. Posts you've already published will still display their like counts unless you edit them individually.
To hide counts on an existing post, open the post, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select Edit. A toggle for "Hide Like and View Counts" will appear — turn it on. You can do this for as many old posts as you want, but there's no bulk option, so you'll need to edit each one separately.
If you change your mind later
Both settings are reversible. If you hide your like counts and later want to show them again, go back to Settings, Privacy, Posts, and toggle the setting back on. For posts you've already edited to hide counts, you'll need to edit them again and toggle the setting off.
Instagram doesn't penalize you for hiding or showing counts. Your posts won't be hidden from feeds, your reach won't change, and the algorithm doesn't treat hidden-count posts differently. It's purely a visibility choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I hide my like counts, can people still see them by clicking on my post?
No. When you hide like counts on your posts, no one except you can see the number, even if they click into the post. They'll see comments and your caption, but the like count won't appear anywhere on that post.
Does hiding like counts affect how the Instagram algorithm shows my posts?
No. The algorithm still tracks all engagement data behind the scenes. Hiding the count is only a visual change for other users — it doesn't change how many people see your posts or how Instagram prioritizes your content in feeds.
Can I hide like counts on just some of my posts, not all of them?
Yes. You can edit individual posts to hide or show their counts. There's no setting to hide counts on posts from a certain date or category — you control each post separately through the Edit option.
If someone screenshots my post, will the like count show in the screenshot?
Yes. A screenshot captures what's on your screen at that moment. If you've hidden the count, it won't appear in the screenshot either. If you haven't hidden it, the count will be visible in the screenshot.
Does hiding likes in my feed affect what my friends see?
No. This setting only changes your own view. Your friends will still see like counts on posts in their feeds, and you hiding them in yours doesn't change what appears on their screens.