Why Can’t I See Instagram Likes? Causes & Fixes

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Instagram like counts play a key role in measuring engagement. That’s why many users search for why Instagram likes are not showing and how to fix it. In this article, we’ll explain why likes may be hidden and how to make them visible again.

Instagram frequently updates its features to attract attention. One of its recent updates was hiding like counts. While some users welcomed the change, many others were unhappy. Previously, you could see the number of likes on your own posts as well as those of others. But now, depending on settings, like counts may be hidden. Some users have already started hiding their like counts by choice.

Why Are Instagram Likes Not Showing?

Owned by Facebook, Instagram has introduced many updates in recent years. One of the most discussed changes was the option to hide like counts. As a result, many users began asking “why can’t I see Instagram likes?”. Today, the display of likes is optional—some users choose to show them, while others prefer to hide them.

With the latest update, instead of a visible number of likes, you may see text like “and others liked this”. This feature is designed to reduce pressure and competition around like counts.

How to See Instagram Likes?

With the new update, users can hide their like counts. This means you may not be able to see likes directly in the app. However, you can still view like counts from a computer. Here’s how:

• Log in to your Instagram account from a desktop browser.
• Open the post of the user whose likes you want to check.
• Hover your mouse over the post.
• You’ll be able to see the exact like count.

How to Hide Instagram Likes?

The Instagram hide like feature is simple to use. To hide likes on your own posts, follow these steps:

• Open the post where you want to hide likes.
• Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
• Select Hide Like Count.

Once enabled, your followers will no longer see how many likes your post has. Instead, they’ll see a message such as “and others liked this.”

Note: You can still track your likes by linking your Instagram account to Facebook Business tools.

Can You Undo the Hide Like Feature?

Yes, hiding likes is not permanent. You can enable or disable it anytime. If you turn the option off, your followers will once again see your like counts.

Currently, Instagram is testing whether this feature might become permanent. For now, you can freely switch between showing and hiding like counts.

How to Unhide Instagram Likes?

If you’ve hidden likes and want to make them visible again, simply:

• Open the post where likes are hidden.
• Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
• Select Unhide Like Count.

This will restore the visibility of likes for that post, and your followers will see the counts again.