Instagram is Once Again Testing Hiding Likes

After Instagram tested hiding likes again earlier this week, some marketers were spooked. Are likes being hidden once and for all?

Record scratch: You’re probably wondering how we got here.

• In 2019, Instagram said it would test hiding like counts on posts.
• Since then, the platform has experimented with removing likes to different degrees in various parts of the world—Australian likes, for instance, are currently in hiding. 🦘

What we’re in for

This week’s test was more widespread than intended. “We've been testing a new experience to hide likes on Feed posts. We unintentionally added more people to the test today, which was a bug,” Instagram said.

But that doesn’t mean the “hiding likes” chapter is closed.

• “We are testing this because we want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves. This includes helping people to focus on the photos and videos they share, not how many likes they get,” a Facebook spokesperson told Marketing Brew.

My takeaway: The complete death of likes is still on the table, even if it’s not an immediate possibility. Luckily, 2019 spawned a plethora of articles on how marketers can prepare in the event IG’s plans accelerate.