After years of testing, Instagram is introducing the option for users worldwide to hide like counts on posts, and the change will soon be rolled out on Facebook.
Instagram users will be able to hide the number of likes on all of their feed posts as well as their own. In a few weeks, these options will be available on Facebook, according to Instagram.
The purpose, according to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, is to give users more control over their app experiences. He claimed that while the platform’s tests on hiding like counts showed no significant changes in users’ psychological well-being, they had polarized user opinion.
Likes will be switched on as the default setting. Instagram will look into hiding like counts by default for users under the age of 18, according to Mosseri.
Instagram has experimented with giving a small number of worldwide users the option of exposing or suppressing like numbers. According to the company, some users found it advantageous, while others were unhappy by the loss of the indicator.
According to Mosseri, the shift is unlikely to result in a major change in user engagement. He stated that social media creators, who generate content for their enormous followings on the platform, had mixed opinions, but that some less-established creators were concerned.
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