Instagram might stop showing 'likes' count on your posts in the future

Instagram might be planning to stop showing likes count on your posts in the future. Famous tipster Jane Manchun Wong has spotted the new design change test in Instagram’s Android code and posted a few screenshots of the same on her Twitter profile.

As you can see in one of the screenshots, the Instagram feed post doesn't show a Likes count. However, it shows faces and username of others (possibly those you know) who have Liked the post.

Instagram is testing hiding likes count from audiences, as stated in the app: "We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get"

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As per the screenshot, post creators are notified that only they can see the total number of likes on their post. More details are awaited whether Instagram test lets users decide who can see the total number of likes. Hiding likes count could reduce the competition among content creators on Instagram to some extent. However, this test should not affect the comments count in any way.

The screenshot describes Instagram wants your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get. During this test, only the person who shares a post will see the total number of likes it gets.

This could also encourage creators to post more quality, genuine posts rather than focusing on maximising their likes count by posting random pictures. However, it's too early to comment on how this is going to affect users in the future. We don't even know at this moment whether Instagram is actually going to implement this design change to its platform.

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"We’re not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we’re always thinking about," Instagram spokesperson told TechCrunch.

Earlier, Instagram was spotted testing a seek bar to let users scrub through videos. Wong spotted Instagram testing a video seek bar while watching videos to let users jump between any specific part of the video. The feature has been missing ever since Instagram allowed users to share videos on its platform.