How to hack Instagram's hidden likes count

Instagram's blocked Aussies from seeing how many likes a post has – but there's a way to get around it. (Source: Yui Mok/PA Wire via AAP)

By now, you likely already know that Instagram has prevented people from seeing how many likes a given Insta-post has.

The move has fanned concerns among Instagram influencers, whose business models revolve around how much engagement they get on their posts, on how it will affect their revenue and likelihood of obtaining sponsorships.

But there’s a way to get around it.

You might not be able to see the number of likes someone’s post gets in the Instagram app, but you can still spy the figures on Instagram via desktop.

To view an Instagram profile, the webpage URL is simply instagram.com/ followed by the handle name.

For instance, @yahoofinanceau would be found at instagram.com/yahoofinanceau.

Hovering over a post instantly lets you see how many likes the post has garnered.

Hovering over a post on Instagram, accessed via desktop, shows you the talk number of likes the post has. (Source: Yahoo Finance)

Clicking into the image, you can see the number of people that have liked it.

You can see how many people have liked a post when you visit Instagram on desktop. (Source: Yahoo Finance)

So, if you’re really need to know how many people have liked any given post, you still can: you’ll just have to be near a computer to do it.

Instagram hides number of likes

Instagram wants you to “focus less on likes and more on telling [your] story”.

It’s also a bid to improve mental health of young people in a social media culture driven by an obsession with the the volume of engagement.

The social media giant rolled out a trial update on Thursday to block Australian users from seeing the number of likes a post has received.

“We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love,” said Facebook Australia and New Zealand director of policy Mia Garlick in a statement.

“We are now rolling the test out to Australia so we can learn more about how this can benefit people’s experiences on Instagram, and whether this change can help people focus less on likes and more on telling their story.”

Australia joins a list of other countries trialling the same update, including Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Italy, and Brazil.

Instagram will decide at a later date whether the change will be permanent.

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