Instagram to test hiding ‘likes’ in the US beginning next week

Social media platform Instagram has announced that it will soon be testing hiding the ‘likes’ feature in the US. The test will begin rolling out as early as next week.

Months ago, Instagram first began to test hiding likes in other territories, such as Canada, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Brazil, and New Zealand. In a WIRED 25 conference, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri confirmed that they would soon roll out the test for a limited number of users in the US. Hiding likes on Instagram include likes on public posts seen in the feed, on the web, and in user profiles. Users will still see how many likes their posts get, but other users won’t be able to do so.

Hiding likes is one of Instagram’s measure to become a “safe place” on the internet. When Instagram initially rolled out the experiment, the company stated that:

We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get. You can still see your own likes by tapping on the list of people who’ve liked it, but your friends will not be able to see how many likes your post has received.

WATCH: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announces that the platform will start hiding likes for US audiences starting next week. It's the latest step in Instagram’s quest to become the safest place on the internet. https://t.co/BGkMG57rdk #WIRED25 pic.twitter.com/WNTyAPVhaD

— WIRED (@WIRED) November 9, 2019

Source: WIRED