How to Hide Likes on Instagram: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Instagram gives you two separate controls for hiding likes: hiding them on your own posts (so nobody else sees your like count) and hiding them on the whole feed (so you don't see anyone else's counts). Here is exactly how to do both, and when each one actually helps.

Hide likes on a single post you are about to publish

When creating a new post, tap Advanced settings before publishing → toggle Hide like and view counts on this post. That post will show "Others" instead of a number to everyone but you.

Hide likes on a post you already published

Open the post → tap the three dots (⋯) → Hide like count. You can toggle it back on at any time without losing the like count itself — Instagram is only hiding the number publicly.

Hide like counts across your entire feed (from other people's posts)

Profile → menu → Settings and activity → What you see → Like and view counts → toggle Hide like and view counts. This is a personal preference — it does not affect what anyone else sees.

Why creators hide their own likes

Three main reasons in 2026: 1) Removing social-proof pressure so their content is judged on quality, 2) Preventing competitors from copying their winning formulas by tracking which posts spike, 3) Reducing brand-deal negotiation leverage for sponsors who obsess over per-post like counts.

Why creators are quietly turning likes BACK on

Social proof works. Multiple 2025 case studies from mid-tier creators showed that turning likes back on increased their follow-rate on profile visits by 15–40%, especially for accounts under 50k followers. A visible high like count is one of the fastest trust signals on the platform.

The nuanced strategy

The move in 2026 is: hide likes on posts where the count is embarrassingly low, keep them visible on the ones where the count is strong. Instagram lets you toggle per-post, so use it strategically instead of applying one rule to everything.

Bottom line

Hiding likes is a legitimate tool, not a cure. Use it to protect posts that are still gaining traction — but let your strong posts show their numbers. Buyers, followers, and sponsors all read like counts as a quality signal, and hiding everything wastes the wins you already have.