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Likes on social media often have been equated with a sign of a person’s influence or what’s trending. But social networks want to take that judgment away.
Facebook and Instagram announced this week that it is giving all users the option to hide the likes on their posts.
Since 2019, Facebook and Instagram have been piloting hiding the like counts. But now every user will have that option. Users can decide whether to show the likes on their posts and also choose whether to see how many people liked other users’ posts. The feature is optional.
“What we heard from people and experts was that not seeing like counts was beneficial for some and annoying to others, particularly because people use like counts to get a sense of what’s trending or popular, so we’re giving you the choice,” Facebook said in announcing its decision. The new option lets users “focus on the photos and videos being shared, instead of how many likes posts get.”
Even if users decide not to show their likes publicly, viewers still will be able to see a list of who liked the post—just not the actual number of likes. Also, users will be able to continue seeing the number of likes even if they opt to hide it publicly.
Facebook and Instagram users also now have an option if they want to see how many people liked others’ posts, too.
Visit the “new posts” section in settings to hide like and view counts.
Real estate pros are heavy users of social media in their professional outreach. Seventy-four percent of REALTORS® surveyed say they use Facebook professionally, and 44% use Instagram professionally, according to the newly released “2021 Member Profile,” produced by the National Association of REALTORS®.
