Instagram hides like counts by default, but you can still see them
Instagram stopped showing the total number of likes on posts to most accounts in 2019. The company did this to reduce social comparison and pressure. If you cannot see a like count on a post — yours or someone else's — that is why. But you can still find the information. On your own posts, the count appears in your Insights. On other people's posts, you can see likes only if the account owner has turned the count back on in their settings.
The visibility of likes depends on whose post you are looking at and what country you are in. Instagram has rolled out the hidden-like feature unevenly across regions, and some accounts have the option to show or hide counts while others do not. This means your experience may differ from a friend's in another country.
Key Takeaways
- You can see likes on your own posts by opening Insights from your profile, even if the count is hidden from other viewers.
- On other people's posts, you see a like count only if their account has the feature turned off or if Instagram has not hidden counts in your region yet.
- Business and Creator accounts have the option to show or hide like counts; personal accounts may not have this choice.
- The like count on a post does not change based on who is viewing it — if it is hidden, it is hidden for everyone except the post owner.
How to see likes on your own Instagram posts
Open the post you want to check. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post and select View Insights. This opens a detailed breakdown of that post's performance, including the total number of likes, comments, shares, and saves. The Insights view shows you data that no one else can see — it is private to you.
If you do not see the View Insights option, your account may be set to personal rather than business or creator. Personal accounts on Instagram do not have access to Insights. You can switch to a business or creator account in your settings under Account Type. This change is free and does not affect your followers or posts.
You can also see a summary of likes across all your posts by going to your profile, tapping the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and selecting Insights. This shows total interactions for the week or month, depending on which tab you select.
How to see likes on other people's posts
Whether you can see a like count on someone else's post depends on their account settings and your location. If the count is visible, it appears below the post caption and shows the number of people who liked it. If it is hidden, you will see text like "Liked by [name] and others" instead of a number.
You cannot change whether you see likes on other accounts' posts — that setting belongs to the post owner. If an account has hidden likes, there is no way to see the total count, even if you are a close friend or follower. Some accounts may have the option to toggle this on and off, while others may not have the feature available in their region yet.
How to turn like counts on or off for your own posts
If you have a business or creator account, you can choose whether to show or hide like counts on your posts. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, and select Settings and Privacy. Then go to Posts and Stories and toggle Hide Like and View Counts on Other People's Posts. This setting applies to posts you create going forward.
If you want to hide likes on posts you have already published, you will need to edit each post individually. Tap the three dots on the post, select Edit, and look for the option to hide likes. Not all posts may have this option available, depending on when they were posted and your account type.
Personal accounts do not currently have the option to hide or show like counts — Instagram controls this setting for you based on your region. If you want more control over your post metrics, switching to a business or creator account gives you access to these settings.
Why Instagram hides like counts and what changed
Instagram began testing hidden like counts in 2019 as a way to reduce the pressure people feel to post content that will get high engagement. The company found that visible like counts could increase anxiety and discourage people from posting. By hiding the count from viewers (but not from the post owner), Instagram aimed to make the platform less about chasing numbers and more about sharing content.
The rollout has been gradual and uneven. Some countries got the feature years ago, while others are still getting it now. Some accounts have the option to turn it on or off, while others do not. This patchwork approach means that two people looking at the same post may see different information depending on where they are and what type of account they have.
What you can do if you cannot see a like count
If a post does not show a like count and you want to know how popular it is, you have a few options. You can ask the account owner directly. You can look at the comments to get a sense of engagement — posts with many comments usually have many likes too. You can also check if the account has a business profile linked to a website, which sometimes shows engagement metrics publicly.
If you are trying to understand your own post performance and you have a personal account, the fastest route is to switch to a business or creator account. This gives you access to Insights, where you can see all your metrics in detail. The switch is free and reversible — you can change back to a personal account anytime.
How Instagram Insights shows likes differently than the public view
When you view Insights on your own post, you see the exact number of likes, not an estimate or rounded figure. You also see when those likes came in — whether they arrived in the first hour, the first day, or over a longer period. This timing information helps you understand when your audience is most active.
Insights also breaks down likes by source: how many came from your followers, how many from people who do not follow you, and how many from people who discovered the post through hashtags or the Explore page. This detail is not visible to anyone but you. It can help you decide what type of content to post and when to post it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see how many likes someone's post has if they have hidden the count?
No. If an account has hidden like counts, you cannot see the total number of likes on their posts. You can see only that people liked it — the text says "Liked by [name] and others" without showing a number. The post owner can see the count in their Insights, but you cannot.
Why do some posts show like counts and others do not on the same account?
The account owner may have changed their settings between posts, or Instagram may have rolled out the hidden-like feature at different times in your region. If you have a business account, you can also hide likes on individual posts when you edit them, so the owner may have chosen to hide some and not others.
If I switch to a business account, will my followers see my like counts?
Not automatically. Switching to a business account does not change whether your like counts are visible to others — that depends on Instagram's settings for your region and account type. You can then choose to hide or show likes if the option is available to you, but this is a separate setting from your account type.
Do likes still matter if Instagram is hiding the count?
Likes still affect how Instagram's algorithm ranks your posts, so they matter for reach even if the count is hidden. The algorithm considers likes as a signal of engagement. However, you are the only one who sees the exact number on your own posts, so the pressure to chase a high count is reduced for your audience.
Can I see likes on Instagram Stories the same way?
No. Instagram Stories do not show like counts at all — instead, people send you direct messages or reactions if they want to engage. You can see who viewed your story and who replied to it, but there is no like counter for stories like there is for feed posts.