Instagram creators are reporting a “like recession” in 2026. Posts that previously hit 1,000 likes now barely reach 100. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter.
Instagram’s algorithm changed. Likes now account for only 5% of your content’s reach. DM shares, saves, and watch time carry 20-35% weight each. The platform is telling you exactly what matters now — and it’s not likes.
More creators are hiding like counts entirely. Not just for mental health (though that’s valid), but because fixating on a declining, low-value metric is a waste of energy.
Here’s how to hide Instagram likes, why you should consider it, and what to focus on instead.
TL;DR
How to hide likes on your posts:
- Create post → Advanced settings → Toggle “Hide like and view counts”
- For existing posts: Three dots → Hide Like Count
Why creators hide likes in 2026:
- Instagram algorithm weights likes at only 5% (vs 25% for saves, 20% for DM shares)
- “Like recession” real: Average engagement dropped to 0.48%, creators report 90% fewer likes year-over-year
- Reduces mental health pressure and social comparison anxiety
- Shifts focus to metrics that actually drive reach: DM shares, saves, comments
Does hiding likes hurt reach? No. Instagram still tracks likes internally for the algorithm. Hiding only removes public visibility.
How to Hide Likes on Instagram (2026 Methods)
Hide Likes Before Publishing a Post
- Tap the + button to create a new post
- Select your photo or video
- Tap Next and add your caption
- Tap Advanced settings at the bottom
- Toggle ON “Hide like and view counts on this post”
- Publish your post
Your post will display “Liked by [username] and others” instead of an exact count.
Hide Likes on Existing Posts
Already published content? You can hide likes retroactively:
- Go to the post you want to edit
- Tap the three dots in the top-right corner
- Select “Hide Like Count”
- Confirm
Limitation: There’s no bulk-hide option as of January 2026. You must hide likes individually for each post (Hypefury, January 2026).
Hide Like Counts When Viewing Other People’s Posts
Want to stop seeing everyone else’s like counts? Instagram lets you hide all like counts globally:
- Go to your profile
- Tap the hamburger menu (three lines, top right)
- Go to Settings and activity
- Scroll to “What you see”
- Tap “Like and share counts”
- Toggle ON “Hide like and share counts”
Now when you browse Instagram, you’ll see “Liked by [username] and others” on every post — yours and theirs.
What You Cannot Hide
- Reels likes: As of January 2026, there’s no direct method to hide like counts on Reels specifically
- Stories likes: Already private by default (only you can see who liked your Story)
- View counts: When you hide likes on a post, view counts are hidden as well — they’re tied together
Why Creators Are Hiding Likes in 2026
The “Like Recession” Is Real
Social media managers across Instagram are reporting unprecedented drops in like counts. One creator put it bluntly: “100 likes is the new 1,000.”
The numbers back this up:
- Instagram engagement rate dropped to 0.48% in 2026 (down from 0.50%)
- Creators report approximately 90% decline in visible likes year-over-year
- Average comments per post fell 16%
- Meanwhile, DM shares increased 12%
Users are still engaging — they’re just doing it privately. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri confirmed that “shares per reach” is now a top-ranking signal, meaning people are sending posts to friends via DM instead of liking publicly (Daily Dot, January 2026).
Translation: Public engagement (likes) is down. Private engagement (DMs) is up. The algorithm rewards the latter.
Instagram’s Algorithm Devalued Likes
Here’s the engagement hierarchy for Instagram feed posts in 2026, based on algorithm analysis:
| Engagement Signal | Algorithm Weight |
|---|---|
| Watch time / completion rate | 35% |
| Saves and collections | 25% |
| DM shares | 20% |
| Meaningful comments (7+ words) | 15% |
| Likes | 5% |
(Napolify, Clixie AI, January 2026)
Likes carry the least weight of all engagement signals. Instagram stopped prioritizing them years ago, but in 2026, the gap widened dramatically.
Mosseri explained: “Shares per reach is one of the most important signals we use for ranking” — not likes, not comments, but how many people send your content to someone else (Buffer, January 2026).
Mental Health and Comparison Anxiety
Instagram built the like-hiding feature specifically to “depressurize Instagram for young people,” according to Mosseri.
He stated directly:
“The idea is to try to depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition and give people more space to focus on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them. It’s about young people.” (NPR, KQED)
Research supports this: Studies show social media promotes social comparison, leading to anxiety, depression, negative body image, and feelings of inadequacy — particularly among teens and young adults (Washington Post, MyWellbeing, January 2026).
For creators, this translates to:
- Posting without performance anxiety
- Freedom to experiment with new content styles
- Less obsessive checking of post performance
- Reduced pressure to “beat” previous posts
Strategic Business Reasons
Beyond mental health, there are practical reasons to hide likes:
- Prevents competitive benchmarking - Your competitors can’t easily track your performance or reverse-engineer your strategy
- Hides underperforming content - A post with 12 likes looks the same as one with 1,200
- Better for sponsored content - Brands don’t want low like counts visible on paid partnerships (this can affect future deals)
- Encourages consistency - Creators report posting more frequently when not fixating on like counts
- Aligns with platform direction - Instagram is de-emphasizing likes; hiding them acknowledges reality
Does Hiding Likes Affect Your Reach?
No. Instagram confirms that hiding like counts does not affect:
- Algorithm ranking
- Content distribution
- Reach or discoverability
- Your ability to track performance in Insights
“Hiding likes doesn’t affect your reach or algorithm ranking. Instagram still uses likes for algorithm purposes internally” (Birdeye, Gleam, January 2026).
What this means: Instagram still counts every like you receive. The algorithm sees them. Your Instagram Insights show them. Only public viewers can’t see the exact count.
Your analytics dashboard still shows:
- Total likes received
- Reach and impressions
- Follower demographics
- Saves, shares, comments
- Profile visits and website clicks
You lose nothing except public vanity metrics.
What to Track Instead of Likes in 2026
If likes don’t matter, what does?
1. DM Shares (20% Algorithm Weight)
Why it matters: Mosseri calls this “the most important signal” for ranking. When someone DMs your post to a friend, Instagram interprets that as high-value content worth showing to more people.
How to increase DM shares:
- Create relatable, shareable content (“Send this to someone who needs to see it”)
- Use saved audio trends (people share trending Reels)
- Post content that sparks conversation (“What do you think? DM me”)
- Make tutorial content people want to save for later or send to friends
CreatorFlow tip: Use comment-to-DM automation to start conversations. When followers comment, auto-send a DM that continues the discussion. This triggers the “DM share” signal Instagram values most.
2. Saves (25% Algorithm Weight)
Why it matters: Saves signal that your content has long-term value. Instagram interprets this as “quality content worth resurfacing.”
How to increase saves:
- Create educational carousels (infographics, step-by-step guides)
- Post recipe content, workout routines, tutorial threads
- Include “Save this for later” CTAs
- Make reference content (templates, checklists, resource lists)
3. Watch Time and Completion Rate (35% Algorithm Weight)
Why it matters: For Reels specifically, completion rate predicts algorithmic reach more than any other metric. If people watch your entire Reel, Instagram shows it to thousands more.
How to increase watch time:
- Hook viewers in the first 1 second
- Keep Reels under 15 seconds (higher completion rates)
- Use pattern interrupts (text overlays, scene changes)
- End with a question or CTA to encourage replays
4. Meaningful Comments (15% Algorithm Weight)
Why it matters: Instagram now distinguishes between “emoji-only” comments and meaningful responses. Comments over 7 words carry 5x the weight of emoji-only reactions (Napolify, January 2026).
How to increase meaningful comments:
- Ask open-ended questions in captions
- Post “hot take” content that sparks debate
- Use “Comment X if you agree” CTAs (but make X a word, not an emoji)
- Respond to comments to encourage longer threads
CreatorFlow tip: Use story reply automation to thank everyone who responds to your Stories. This encourages more Story engagement, which feeds back into your overall account reach.
The Shift to DM-First Engagement
Here’s the bigger picture: Instagram is becoming a DM-first platform.
The data:
- Broadcast Channels (Instagram’s DM-based feature) launched in 2023 and hit 150 million users by 2024
- Instagram added “Channels” to the DM tab, prioritizing private conversations over public feeds
- The algorithm now rewards DM shares more than any other engagement type
- Users increasingly share content privately instead of liking publicly
What this means for creators: Your best engagement opportunities are now in DMs, not in public comments or likes.
The problem: You can’t manually respond to 50, 100, or 500 DM requests per day. That’s where automation comes in.
How DM Automation Fits the 2026 Algorithm
When you use comment-to-DM automation, you’re doing exactly what Instagram’s algorithm rewards:
- Someone comments on your post → +1 comment engagement signal
- You auto-send a DM response → +1 DM conversation signal
- They reply to your DM → +1 meaningful engagement signal
- You capture their email or send them a link → +1 conversion
You’re stacking multiple high-value signals (comments + DMs) in one interaction.
Example: A fitness coach posts a Reel about meal planning. 80 people comment “yes please!” The coach uses CreatorFlow to auto-DM all 80 people with a link to her meal plan template.
Result:
- 80 comments (algorithm boost)
- 80 DM conversations started (highest algorithm weight)
- 40 people click the link (conversions)
- Instagram shows the Reel to 10,000+ more people because of the engagement signals
This is the 2026 playbook: trigger comments, move to DMs, automate the follow-up.
Learn how CreatorFlow automates Instagram DMs
Should You Hide Your Instagram Likes?
Hide likes if:
- You feel anxious about low like counts
- You want to experiment with new content without public judgment
- You’re in a competitive niche and don’t want rivals tracking your performance
- You post sponsored content and want to avoid low engagement looking bad
- You want to focus on metrics that actually matter (saves, DM shares)
Don’t hide likes if:
- You’re a small creator (<1,000 followers) trying to build social proof
- Your audience uses like counts to gauge trending content
- You monetize through brand deals that require public engagement metrics
- You want potential followers to see your content is popular
Learn how to make money on Instagram with a small following
You can test both approaches. Hiding likes is reversible — you can unhide at any time.
FAQ
Can I hide likes on Reels?
As of January 2026, there’s no direct method to hide like counts specifically on Reels. You can only hide likes on feed posts. Instagram may add this feature in future updates.
Will hiding likes hurt my brand deal opportunities?
No. Brands evaluate creators using Instagram Insights data (reach, impressions, demographics), not public like counts. Your media kit should include Insights screenshots, which show all engagement metrics even when likes are hidden publicly.
Can I hide likes on old posts?
Yes. Go to any post, tap the three dots, and select “Hide Like Count.” There’s no time limit — you can hide likes on posts from any date.
Do hidden likes still count toward my Insights?
Yes. Instagram tracks all likes internally. Your Insights dashboard shows full engagement data regardless of public visibility settings.
What happens if I unhide likes later?
All likes accumulated while hidden will become visible again. If a post earned 500 likes while hidden, unhiding will display “500 likes” publicly.
Does hiding likes affect my engagement rate?
Your actual engagement rate (total interactions ÷ reach) stays the same. However, some third-party analytics tools calculate engagement based on publicly visible data, so they may show inaccurate rates if likes are hidden. Use Instagram’s native Insights for accurate metrics.
Should I hide likes on sponsored content?
Many creators and brands prefer hiding likes on sponsored posts to avoid public perception issues if engagement is lower than usual. However, discuss this with your brand partner first — some contracts require public metrics visibility.
Can my followers still like my posts if I hide like counts?
Yes. Hiding like counts doesn’t disable the like button. People can still like your posts — they just can’t see how many others have liked it.
