We recently reported on the possibility of Instagram hiding likes on posts and now the company has announced it is officially testing the feature in selected countries.
Instagram took to Twitter to reveal its current test of hiding likes.
“We’re currently running a test that hides the total number of likes and vide views for some people in the following countries [Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand”, the company tweeted.
“We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get. You can still see your own likes by tapping on the list of people who’ve liked it, but your friends will not be able to see how many likes your post has received.
“We’re looking forward to learning more about how this change might benefit everyone’s experience on Instagram.”
Likes and views on Instagram have caused several debates in recent times, with some arguing seeing likes can boost the self-esteem of users while others argue the lack of likes can bring people down.
Some companies use likes for measurement tools but Instagram have said hiding likes will not affect this use for businesses.
Instagram have not given a time frame for when the new update will rollout to the UK and other countries.