Ah, Instagram, the go-to place for either a good old slice of self-validation or humiliation. With Instagram hiding likes, however, it will prove more difficult to self-validate and to get annoyed at a perceived lack of popularity. So when is Instagram getting rid of likes? There are unconfirmed reports suggesting Q4 2019, but the company is currently running trials and you might be in the catchment area. Find out if that is case below.
Instagram Hiding Likes | When is Instagram getting rid of likes?
The head honchos over at Instagram HQ appear to be actively working towards getting rid of likes from the social media platform.
Instagram has stated that it is “currently running a test” that hides the total number of likes and video views for some users in the following countries:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- New Zealand
Anyone who is a part of the trial is finding that their posts can still receive likes, but that they are hidden from view. Other users cannot see your likes in the experiment, only you can.
Why is Instagram removing likes?
The trial, if proven successful, could see the removal of likes from Instagram altogether. As per Later.com’s report on all things Instagram announced at F8 2019, the idea behind it is to make social media a less “pressurized environment.” The owners of Facebook and Instagram want to make Instagram less about the likes and more about the content. A move away from likes would go some way towards removing the competitive nature of Instagram. It could potentially prove to improve users mental health. If there are no likes to worry about, there’s less to worry about overall.
However, it could also mean the end of “influencer” culture on the platform. If there are no likes of video views for Instagram users to leverage when it comes to sponsorships with companies, then how is advertising on the social network going to function? How will users see their metrics before showing them to companies when trying to secure branded deals? These are questions that many will want answering during this trial period.
Of course, none of this means Instagram is actually getting rid of likes. During the trial run in Canada, Instagram is hiding the number of likes. You can still see who likes your posts, but you’ll need to add them all up manually. This, of course, means that you can still like other people’s posts. There just won’t be that easy to digest like count number for everyone to see.
As the trial run is still ongoing, it will be a while before Instagram hides likes for everyone. If the trial proves a success, however, we can easily see it rolled out for everyone before the end of Q4 2019.
