Instagram Expands Hidden Like Counts to Seven Countries

Instagram began testing the removal of “likes” from users’ photos back in May. Now, it’s expanding that test to six more countries, hiding like counts in the hopes that it will “benefit everyone’s experience on Instagram.”

The announcement that the test was expanding happened, ironically, through Twitter. Until today, only users in Canada had had their likes and video views hidden from other users, but now IG is adding Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand to the list.

“We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get,” writes Instagram. “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.”

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.

— Instagram (@instagram) July 17, 2019

Adding to the initial tweet, they wrote, “We’re looking forward to learning more about how this change might benefit everyone’s experience on Instagram.”

Given this broader expansion, and the increasing pressure on Instagram to prove that it’s not just a breeding ground for insecurity and influencers, we wouldn’t be surprised if the feature is rolled out to the entire Instagram community by the end of the year.

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