Introduction
Likes are everywhere on Instagram, but they don’t have to control the way you use the app.
For many people, likes are fun and encouraging, but sometimes they can also shift the focus away from what truly matters—the content itself.
Instagram now gives you the choice to manage likes in a way that works best for you. By choosing to turn off likes on Instagram, you can browse with less pressure, share more freely, and focus on creativity instead of numbers.
This guide will show you how to turn off like count on Instagram for your posts, other people’s posts, and even business accounts. It will also explain what happens when you disable likes and how you can still track them privately.
Why People Turn Off Likes on Instagram
Instagram has always been about sharing and connecting.
But over time, likes became more than just small signals of appreciation. They turned into a way to measure success, and for many, a source of pressure.
That’s when Instagram introduced a new option: the ability to turn off likes on Instagram. This feature gave users more freedom and control over their engagement with the platform.
Mental health and less comparison
It’s easy to feel discouraged when your post gets 50 likes while a friend’s post gets 5,000. For many, that number feels like a personal judgment, even when it’s not.
By choosing to remove likes on Instagram, users reduce that constant comparison.
It allows them to enjoy the app more mindfully, connect without pressure, and share without worrying about how many hearts appear under each photo.
Creative focus over vanity metrics
Creators and everyday users often want their work to be noticed for its message, style, or story—not just a number at the bottom.
Turning likes off on Instagram helps redirect attention to the post itself. It encourages viewers to read captions, comment thoughtfully, or share content.
In short, it moves the value of a post away from vanity metrics and closer to authentic engagement, which feels far more rewarding.
Business and brand strategy
For brands and influencers, removing public like counts is a way to run smarter experiments. Instead of chasing big visible numbers, they measure performance using saves, shares, and comments.
This helps them understand what content truly resonates with their audience. Some also use this feature to reduce pressure on followers, making their accounts feel more inviting.
For businesses, turning off likes on Instagram can be a way to build trust while still tracking results privately.
At its core, disabling likes on Instagram is about freedom. It gives users the choice to step away from numbers and engage more authentically.
To make that shift real, the next step is learning the exact controls Instagram provides to manage likes on your own posts.
How to Turn Off Likes on Your Instagram Posts
Instagram gives you flexible controls to adjust likes on your own content, whether you’re posting for the first time or editing later.
The process works for both iPhone and Android, and it applies to regular posts and Reels. Stories are a little different, as they don’t have likes, only reactions.
Here’s how it all works in practice.
Turning Off Likes Before Posting
When you’re about to share a photo or video, you’ll see an “Advanced settings” option before you hit publish. Inside, there’s a toggle that lets you hide likes and view counts. Switch it on, and your post will go live without public numbers.
The same option appears when uploading a Reel. For Stories, there are no likes, but you can limit reactions or replies by choosing who can respond—everyone, people you follow, or no one at all.
This simple step makes it easy to turn off likes on IG before they ever appear.
Turning Off Likes After Posting
Sometimes you post first and think about numbers later. Instagram lets you fix that.
Open your published post, tap the three dots at the top right, and select “Hide like count.” It works the same way for Reels. Your audience will no longer see how many people tapped the heart, though you’ll still see it privately.
With Stories, nothing changes here since they don’t have likes in the first place.
This option is especially useful if you want to turn off likes from IG after realizing the count is distracting from the content itself.
Can You Remove Someone Else’s Likes from Your Posts?
One limitation remains: you cannot delete a like that someone else has given your post.
Once they’ve tapped the heart, it’s logged. The only workarounds are indirect—you could restrict or block the person, or even delete the post entirely. But there’s no button to erase a single like selectively.
This is important to know, especially if you were hoping to manage likes individually. In short, you can control visibility but not ownership of likes.
Turning off likes on your own posts is a big step in making Instagram feel more personal and less pressured. But likes aren’t just about your posts—what you see on other people’s posts matters too.
That’s where the next part comes in: shifting focus from your feed to theirs.
Try BotPenguin
How to Turn Off Likes on Other People’s Instagram Posts
Scrolling through Instagram means seeing content from others, and those numbers can be just as distracting.
Some people feel pressure when comparing their likes to others, while others simply prefer a cleaner feed without counts under every photo or Reel.
Instagram gives you options here, too—both for what you see and for what others see about your own activity.
How to Stop Seeing Like Counts on Other People’s Posts
If you’d rather not know how many likes a friend’s post has, you can switch off counts across your feed.
On iPhone, go to Settings → Privacy → Posts, then toggle off “Like and view counts.” On Android, the steps are nearly the same, just under slightly different menu layouts.
Once enabled, you’ll no longer see numbers, only the content itself.
This is the simplest way of turning off like count on Instagram, so your browsing feels more relaxed.
How to Limit Others from Seeing Your Instagram Likes
While you can control your own view, you might also want to manage what others see about your activity.
Instagram shows posts you’ve liked to mutual followers, but you can reduce visibility. Options include making your account private or restricting interactions with certain people.
Still, it’s essential to note that you can’t fully erase this trail. There’s no complete way to turn off people from seeing your likes on Instagram.
What you can do is limit exposure, keeping your activity more discreet.
Managing how likes appear in your feed helps you use Instagram on your own terms.
And while personal browsing is one thing, many users also run business or creator accounts. That’s where the balance between visibility and control becomes even more strategic.
How to Turn Off Likes on Instagram Business Accounts
For individual users, turning off likes is about comfort and focus.
For businesses and creators, it can also be about strategy. Many brands want to test how people interact with their content when numbers are no longer front and center.
The good news is that the option works the same way across personal, creator, and business profiles. You can still adjust visibility, but you don’t lose access to performance data.
When you turn off likes on an Instagram business account, the public like counts disappear, but your Insights remain intact. That means you can continue tracking engagement privately through analytics—seeing reach, impressions, and even exact like counts.
It’s a way to keep your team informed without showing every metric to the audience.
Some businesses use this feature to reduce social comparison among followers. Others find it creates a cleaner brand image, especially when focusing on storytelling or long-term campaigns.
By deciding to disable likes, Instagram business brands gain flexibility.
They can highlight quality interactions—like comments and shares—over vanity metrics.
This shift in visibility changes how content is perceived, but it doesn’t remove the underlying data. And that leads to an important question:
What Happens When You Turn Off Likes on Instagram
Switching off likes may sound like a big change, but the effect is simpler than most people expect.
The option is designed to give you more control over how your posts appear, while maintaining your overall performance. If you’ve wondered what disabling likes on Instagram does, here’s how it plays out.
When you disable the like count, your audience won’t see the total number anymore. They’ll only notice that someone they follow has liked the post.
You, on the other hand, still have full access to the exact count in your account’s backend. Comments, shares, and algorithm reach work the same as before, so engagement continues without disruption.
However, there are benefits and drawbacks to this.
On the plus side, turning off likes on Instagram helps reduce comparison and puts the spotlight back on content. On the other hand, some users and businesses value visible counts as social proof, especially in competitive niches.
The key advantage is flexibility—you can switch the setting on or off whenever it suits your needs.
This balance is vital because while likes may no longer be public, tracking them privately remains just as valuable. So, let’s find out how in the upcoming section.
Tracking Instagram Likes After Turning Them Off
Even after the likes counts are disabled, they don’t disappear for you.
The data shifts from public to private, and Instagram ensures you still have the tools to keep track of it.
Inside the app, Insights gives you a clear breakdown of performance. You can see how many people liked, commented, shared, or saved a post. This way, tracking hidden Instagram likes becomes less about public approval and more about personal measurement.
For creators and businesses, this private view is often more valuable than the public count because it shows engagement trends over time.
External tools add another layer. Some platforms allow you to check Instagram likes even after turning off the metrics while also combining data from multiple channels.
This helps teams compare results, refine campaigns, and measure what resonates beyond the surface level.
By blending private Insights with advanced analytics, you get a complete picture of how your content performs. Thus, turning likes off doesn’t remove the data. It simply shifts it from public view to private tracking.
This way, you stay in control of both how your posts appear and how you measure their impact.
Get Started FREE
Conclusion
Throughout this guide, we’ve seen how controlling likes counts changes the way people experience Instagram. It reduces pressure, keeps the focus on content, and gives users the freedom to choose what feels right.
Whether you’re posting casually, running a creator profile, or managing a brand, the option to turn off likes on Instagram can make your presence feel more authentic and less about numbers.
The best part is the flexibility—you can adjust settings at any time, switching them on or off as you wish.
If you’ve been wondering whether to turn likes off on Instagram, now’s the time to try it and see how it reshapes your feed!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will turning off likes on Instagram lower my reach?
No. Disabling like counts doesn’t affect the algorithm. Instagram still tracks engagement privately, and your content is still recommended based on interactions like comments, shares, and saves.
Your reach depends more on activity and relevance than on public like counts.
Can I turn off likes for specific followers only?
No. The setting applies to everyone who views your posts. You can’t hide likes for selected followers.
However, you can restrict or block certain accounts if you want to control how they interact with your content more directly.
Do hidden likes affect Instagram ads?
No. Advertisers still get full engagement data when running campaigns. Even if you turn off like counts, metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions remain visible.
Ad performance is tracked separately and doesn’t rely on whether your organic like counts are public.
Do people get notified if I turn likes off on my posts?
No. Followers don’t receive notifications when you disable or re-enable like counts. The change is silent and only affects what they see on your profile or feed.
Your control over the feature is entirely private and reversible.
Is there a way to hide likes only on Reels but not on posts?
No. The setting works the same for Reels and posts. You can toggle like counts individually for each piece of content, but you can’t separate Reels from posts in terms of rules.
Each must be adjusted manually based on your choice.
