Facebook – the mother’s company of Instagram – has launched more features that give people more control on both Facebook and Instagram.
You may have noticed that Instagram has been testing hiding like counts on Instagram for a while. Now, everyone on Instagram and Facebook can access the option to hide their public like counts, so they can decide what is effective for them.
Instagram tested hiding like counts to see if it might depressurize people’s experience on this platform. Some people and experts told that not seeing like counts was beneficial for some, and annoying to others, particularly because people use the number of likes to get a sense of what’s trending or popular. So, Instagram is giving users the choice.
Instagram is looking for more strategies to give people control over their experience. That’s the reason why Instagram announced new tools to allow people to filter offensive content from their DMs. And Instagram gave users ways to control what they see and share on Facebook’s News Feed – like the Feed Filter Bar, Favorites Feed and Choose Who Can Comment.
New options to hide the number of public likes
Instagram is giving users the choice to hide like counts on all posts in users’ feeds. Users will also have the choice to hide like counts on their own posts, so others can’t see how many likes these posts get. This way, if you want, you can focus on the photos and videos being shared, instead of the like counts these posts get.
People can hide like counts on others’ posts by going to the new Posts section in Settings. This control applies to all the posts in your Instagram feed.
Collaborating with experts and creators
What a user wants from their Instagram experience is different from the next, and people’s needs are changing. Instagram has been working with third-party experts to comprehend how to empower people, build self-awareness and shape a more positive experience on Instagram.
As part of these efforts, Instagram collaborated with The Jed Foundation and creators such as Bunny Michael (@bunnymichael) and Schuyler Bailar (@pinkmantaray) on a brand new Instagram Guide, which gives advice on how to manage pressure online.
Instagram also made more research about people’s experiences on Instagram. And how they can improve their policies and products to support the Instagram community. Instagram is currently requesting research proposals from global academics and non-profits. If you’re interested, find more information here on how to submit.
Changing how people view the number of likes is a big shift. In the future, Instagram users will have new ways to use this platform. So, they feel good about the time they spend on their apps.