# How to see who liked your Instagram post, Reel, comment or Story Canonical: https://postmesh.app/blog/how-to-see-who-liked-your-instagram-post By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31. Open the post and look below it: Instagram shows a post's likes there, and on a Reel or video you tap the view count to see how many likes it has and who liked it. For a comment, tap the number of likes under the comment, and for a Story, open it and swipe up to see who viewed it. ## The short answer Instagram shows who liked your content in a slightly different place for each format. Photos and carousels show likes below the post. Reels and other videos put likes behind the view count. Comments have their own like count. Stories are different again: only you can see who liked your Story, and the main list you get is who viewed it. | What you want to check | Where to look | Who else can see it | | --- | --- | --- | | Likes on your photo or carousel | Below the post | Anyone who can see the post, unless you hide the count | | Likes on your Reel or video | Tap the view count below the video | Anyone who can see it, unless the count is hidden | | Likes on a comment | Tap the number of likes below the comment | Not stated by Instagram | | Likes and views on your Story | Open your Story and swipe up | Only you | | Posts you've liked | Profile, Menu, Your activity, Likes | Depends on your Likes you've made setting | | Total likes over time | View insights on the post (public accounts) | Only you | **Whose likes are you trying to see?** - On my photo, carousel, Reel or video → Look below the post. On a video or Reel, tap the view count first. - On a comment → Tap the number of likes below the comment. - On my Story → Open the Story and swipe up. Older than 24 hours: use your Archive, up to 48 hours after posting. - The count is missing → You or the person who posted has hidden like counts. See the section on hidden counts. *Each format keeps its likes in a different spot. Hidden counts are the most common reason the number disappears.* ## How do I see who liked my Instagram post? Instagram's help article on seeing a post's likes says that, in general, you find a post's likes below it. Open the post from your profile, look under the photo, and tap the likes line to open the list of accounts, the same way Instagram describes for comments and videos. 1. **Go to your profile**: Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right of the app. 2. **Open the post**: Tap the photo or carousel on your grid. 3. **Look below the post**: The likes appear under the photo or carousel. 4. **Open the list**: Tap the likes to see the accounts that liked it. ### How the likes line reads Instagram's help article on like visibility explains the wording. After 4 likes, a photo shows the number of likes along with the usernames of some people you follow who liked it. Your followers may also see your username under a photo you've liked, whatever its like count, in the form of your name and a number of others. So the names shown first under a post aren't the first people who liked it; they're people the viewer follows. ### Carousels Instagram's help article on posts with several photos says likes and comments apply to the entire post, not to individual photos or videos in it. There's no way to see which slide someone liked, because they liked the carousel as a whole. ### On a computer The help article doesn't split instructions by device, and the same rule applies on instagram.com: open the post and look below it. If you post from a computer, our guide to [posting on Instagram from a desktop](/blog/can-you-post-on-instagram-from-desktop) covers what the website can and can't do. ## How do I see who liked my Reel or video? Videos hide their likes one step deeper. Instagram's help article says to first tap the view count below the video. From there you can see how many likes the video has and who liked it. 1. **Open the Reel or video**: From your profile grid or the Reels section of your profile. 2. **Tap the view count below the video**: This is the step most people miss, since the likes aren't shown on their own. 3. **Read the likes and the list**: You'll see the number of likes and the accounts that liked it. > Videos inside a carousel aren't Reels. Instagram's help center says they don't appear in the Reels tab or get Reels features, and their likes count toward the carousel as a whole. ## How do I see who liked a comment? Comments have their own likes, separate from the post. Instagram's help article on liking a comment says you can see who liked a comment by tapping the number of likes below it. That works on comments under your posts and on your own comments under other people's posts. 1. **Open the comments**: Tap the comment icon under the post. 2. **Find the comment**: Comments with likes show a like count beneath them. 3. **Tap the number of likes**: The list of accounts that liked the comment opens. To like a comment yourself, tap Like to the right of it or double-tap the comment. Tap Like again to remove your like. If you're replying to a lot of comments, the free [Instagram comment generator](/tools/instagram-comment-generator) can suggest replies to start from. ## Can I see who liked my Instagram Story? Yes, and nobody else can. Instagram's help article on liking a Story says only the person who shared the Story can see the like. People like a Story by tapping Like next to the reply bar while they watch it. The list you'll use most is the viewer list. Instagram's help article on Story viewers says to open your Story and swipe up: you'll see the number and usernames of the people who viewed each photo or video. If you also shared the Story to Facebook, scroll down to see who saw it there. Only you can see who's seen your Story. ### After the Story disappears Stories disappear after 24 hours, but the viewer list lasts a little longer. The same help article says you can see who viewed your Story for up to 48 hours after you posted it, from your archive. Instagram: Profile › Menu › Archive › Your Story › Swipe up *Works for up to 48 hours after you post. Archive is below How you use Instagram in the menu.* ### Why the view count is higher than the list Instagram's help article says the number of Story views includes replays, so you may see more views than usernames if someone watched more than once. It also says the viewer list and view count don't include Instagram Plus subscribers who previewed your Story. ## Why can't I see the number of likes on a post? A missing like count almost always has one of four causes. Check them in this order. ### You turned on Hide like and share counts Instagram lets you hide like counts on everything you see. If that setting is on, other people's posts and Reels won't show totals for you. It doesn't change what anyone else sees. The next section shows where to turn it off. ### The person who posted hid the count Anyone can hide the like and view counts on their own posts, before or after sharing. If one account's posts never show totals while everyone else's do, that's the likely reason. You can still like the post. ### The account is private and you don't follow it Instagram's help article on like visibility says only approved followers can see a private account's posts, including likes and comments. If you can't see the post, you can't see its likes. ### The post was deleted Instagram's help article on removing likes says that if someone deletes a post you liked, you won't be able to see it anymore, including in your list of liked posts. **You hid like counts** - Counts vanish on posts you see - Other people still see totals - Change it in your settings **The poster hid the count** - Only that account's posts lack totals - The poster still sees their total - Only the poster can change it **The post is private or deleted** - You can't see the post at all - Following a private account may help - Deleted posts can't be recovered by you *If every post is missing counts, it's your setting. If one account is, it's theirs.* ## How do I hide or show like counts on Instagram? Instagram's help article on hiding like counts covers three separate switches: one for posts you see, one for a post before you share it, and one for a post you've already shared. Paths below are from the iPhone version of the article, with the computer version where it differs. ### Hide or show counts on posts you see 1. **Go to your profile**: Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right. 2. **Tap Menu**: It's in the top right. 3. **Tap Like and share counts**: It's below What you see. 4. **Switch Hide like and share counts**: On hides totals on others' posts and Reels for you. Off shows them again. Instagram: Profile › Menu › Like and share counts › Hide like and share counts *On a computer: More in the bottom left, then Settings, then Like and share counts under What you see.* ### Hide counts on a post before you share it In the app, before sharing, tap More options at the bottom and turn on Hide like counts on this post. On a computer, click Advanced settings at the bottom and turn on Hide like and view counts on this post. ### Hide or show counts on a post you already shared Tap Options in the top right of your post, then tap Hide like count to others. To undo it, tap Unhide like count to others. On a computer the options are called Hide like count and Unhide like count. | Switch | iPhone app | Computer | | --- | --- | --- | | Counts on posts you see | Profile, Menu, Like and share counts | More, Settings, Like and share counts | | Before sharing your post | More options, Hide like counts on this post | Advanced settings, Hide like and view counts on this post | | After sharing your post | Options, Hide like count to others | Options, Hide like count | ### If you hide your count, can you still see your likes? Yes. Instagram's help article says you'll still be able to see the total number of likes on your own posts. Hiding the count changes what other people see, not what you see. ## Can you see who liked someone else's post? Usually, yes. Instagram's help article says that when you like a photo, it's visible to anyone who can see the post. So if you can see a post and its like count isn't hidden, you can open its likes the same way you would on your own post. - Public account: anyone can see the post, and Instagram's help center says your like on a public post is visible to everyone, with your username clickable below the post. - Private account: only approved followers can see the posts, including their likes and comments. - Hidden count: if the person who posted hid the count, you won't see the total. Instagram's help center doesn't describe any way for viewers to reveal it. There's one setting that looks like an exception but isn't: Likes you've made, covered next. It controls who can see what you like across Instagram, and it's why some people's likes may not show up where you expect. ## Can other people see the posts I like? You choose. Instagram's help article on managing who can see your likes says you can control who sees your likes on other people's posts and Reels. The setting lives under Profile, then Menu, then Likes you've made, and has four options. Instagram, Likes you've made: - Allow everyone to see likes: Everyone - Allow people you follow to see likes: People you follow - Allow close friends to see likes: Close friends - Don't allow anyone to see likes: No one (tap this) *The highlighted option is the most private. Whatever you pick, the account that posted still sees your like.* The help article adds an important note: whatever you choose, the account that posted the content can see that you liked their post or Reel. The setting limits everyone else, not the creator. You can always see your own likes on posts, on Reels and in Your activity. > If your account is private, Instagram's help center says your posts, likes and comments are only visible to approved followers. But when you like a public post, your like is visible to everyone and your username is clickable under that post. ## How do I see the posts I've liked? Instagram keeps a list of what you've liked in Your activity. Its help article says you can see the 300 most recent posts you've liked there. 1. **Go to your profile**: Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right. 2. **Tap Menu, then Your activity**: Your activity is below How you use Instagram. 3. **Tap Likes**: It's below Interactions. 4. **Open any post**: Tap the post or video you want to see again. ### Remove likes from many posts at once Instagram's help article on removing likes says to make sure the app is up to date, then open Your activity, then Likes, and tap Select in the top right. You can sort newest to oldest, filter by date range with All dates, or filter by account with All authors, then select posts and tap Unlike. Liked posts that were later deleted don't appear in the list. - 300: Most recent liked posts in Your activity - 48 hours: How long your Story viewer list lasts - 4: Likes before a photo shows a number - 2 years: How long post insights stay available *All four come from Instagram's Help Center articles linked in the sources.* ## What happens if someone likes and then unlikes my post? This explains a common puzzle: a notification says someone liked your post, but their name isn't in the list. Instagram's help article on liking and unliking says that very soon after someone removes a like, the like alert disappears from your Activity. But if they liked and then unliked, you'll still get the push notification if you have notifications turned on. - They like your post: You get a push notification (if on) and an alert in Activity. - They unlike it: The alert disappears from Activity soon after. The push notification you already got stays. - They like it again: You get one Activity alert for the latest like. You only got one push, for the first like. *Based on Instagram's help article on liking and unliking posts.* So a name that showed up in a notification but not in your likes list usually means the like was removed. There isn't a history of removed likes you can open. ## Are likes the best way to judge how a post did? Likes are the easiest number to see, but they're only part of the picture. Instagram's help article on post insights says you need a public account, personal or professional, to view insights, and that insights for posts are available for up to two years. They include views (how many times the post was displayed), interactions (likes, comments, saves and shares) and profile activity (what people did on your profile after seeing the post). 1. **Go to your profile**: Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right. 2. **Open the post**: Tap the post you want to check. 3. **Tap View insights**: You'll see views, interactions and profile activity. Instagram's own explanation of ranking, by Adam Mosseri in 2023, suggests why the other numbers matter. In Feed, the five interactions Instagram says it looks at most closely are how likely you are to spend a few seconds on a post, comment on it, like it, share it, and tap the profile photo. In Explore, the most important predicted actions are likes, saves and shares. For Reels, they're reshares, watching all the way through, likes, and visits to the audio page. A post with fewer likes but more shares and saves may still be reaching people. ### A worked example Say two of your posts each show 150 likes. Open View insights on both. If the first reached 1,500 accounts and picked up 150 likes, 10 comments, 25 saves and 15 shares, that's 200 interactions, or about 13 percent of the people it reached. If the second reached 6,000 accounts with 150 likes, 5 comments, 3 saves and 2 shares, that's 160 interactions, under 3 percent. Same likes, very different results: the first post landed with the people who saw it, and the second was shown widely but didn't hold attention. ### Can I see who shared or saved my post? Insights count saves and shares as interactions, but Instagram's help articles don't describe a list of who saved or shared a post. For Reels reshared to Stories, Instagram's help article on sharing posts to Stories is direct: you won't be able to see who has reshared your Reel or where they shared it, whether your account is private or public. The same article says only public accounts that allow resharing can have their posts shared to Stories, and that you can turn resharing off under Sharing and reuse in your settings. To compare posts fairly, divide interactions by reach or by followers. The free [Instagram engagement rate calculator](/tools/instagram-engagement-rate-calculator) does the math, and our guide to [turning on Instagram Insights](/blog/how-to-turn-on-instagram-insights) explains what each metric means. When you post also affects early likes, which is covered in our guide to the [best time to post on Instagram](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-instagram). > If you schedule Instagram posts with PostMesh, likes and comments appear in PostMesh only for posts sent through Instagram's API from accounts connected earlier with Instagram Login. To see who liked a post, check it in Instagram itself. Details are on the [Instagram page](/platform/instagram). ## Should you use an app that shows who likes or views your profile? Be careful. The likes and viewer lists above are the ones Instagram's help center describes. Apps that promise more, such as lists of who looked at your profile, usually ask for your Instagram login. Instagram's help article on apps that offer likes and followers says that if you give such an app your login, by access token or by username and password, it can gain complete access to your account: it can see your personal messages, find information about your friends, and post spam on your profile. There's an account risk too. Instagram's help article on data scraping lists giving your username and password to a third-party app or website as one reason an account may be restricted and flagged for review. The likes-and-followers article adds that Instagram may remove engagement those apps generated, limit parts of accounts that keep using them, and disable accounts that use them to gain likes or followers. If you've already given an app your password, change it. Instagram's data scraping article says changing your password logs you out of all devices, including suspicious logins. Then turn on two-factor authentication, which Instagram's account security article calls the single most effective step to protect your account. If your account gets locked or disabled anyway, our guides to [appealing a disabled Instagram account](/blog/instagram-account-disabled-appeal) and [what to do if your account is suspended](/blog/instagram-account-suspended) explain the official routes. Some questions do have a safe answer. To see which accounts you follow that don't follow you back, our guide to [who doesn't follow you back on Instagram](/blog/who-doesnt-follow-you-back-on-instagram) uses Instagram's own lists and data download instead of a login app. ## What to do next If the likes still don't look right, work through this list before assuming something is broken. **If you can't see likes** - [ ] On a video or Reel, tap the view count first - [ ] Turn off Hide like and share counts in your settings - [ ] Check whether the poster hid the count on their post - [ ] Make sure you can see the post (private or deleted) - [ ] For Stories, swipe up within 48 hours of posting - [ ] Update the Instagram app - [ ] Never give your login to a likes or viewers app *Each step comes from Instagram's Help Center.* If none of that helps, Instagram's help article on technical problems suggests updating the app and then reporting the problem from Profile, then Menu, then Help, then Report a problem, or by shaking your phone. Our guide on [contacting Instagram support](/blog/how-to-contact-instagram-support) covers the other routes. To get more likes in the first place, format matters as much as timing. Our comparison of [Instagram posts, Stories and Reels](/blog/instagram-post-vs-story-vs-reel) explains where each one appears and who sees it, and the free [Instagram caption generator](/tools/instagram-caption-generator) helps with the words underneath. ## Questions ### Can I see who liked my Instagram post if the like count is hidden? Instagram says you can still see the total number of likes on your own posts when you hide the count. Hiding only changes what other people see. ### Why does Instagram show some names under a post and not others? After 4 likes, a photo shows the number of likes plus the usernames of some people the viewer follows who liked it. The names shown depend on who's looking. ### Can someone see that I liked their post if I chose Don't allow anyone? Yes. Instagram says the account that posted the content can always see that you liked it, whatever your Likes you've made setting is. ### Can other people see who liked my Story? No. Instagram says only the person who shared the Story can see a like on it, and only you can see who viewed your Story. ### How long can I see who viewed my Story? Up to 48 hours after posting. After the Story disappears at 24 hours, open it from your Archive and swipe up. ### Why did I get a like notification but can't find the like? The person probably unliked it. The Activity alert disappears soon after a like is removed, but a push notification you already received stays. ### Can I see which photo in a carousel someone liked? No. Likes and comments on a carousel apply to the whole post, not to individual photos or videos. ### How many of my liked posts can I see? Instagram shows the 300 most recent posts you've liked, under Your activity, then Likes. ### Do I need a professional account to see who liked my post? No. Any account can see likes on its posts. Post insights, which add views, shares and saves, need a public account, personal or professional. ### Are apps that show who liked or viewed my Instagram safe? Instagram warns that an app you give your login to can gain complete access to your account, and that sharing your login this way can get your account restricted. Don't do it. ## Sources - [Instagram Help: see a post's likes](https://help.instagram.com/463296457203946) - [Instagram Help: like a comment on a post](https://help.instagram.com/107009073121923) - [Instagram Help: like a story](https://help.instagram.com/1034792113769852) - [Instagram Help: how to tell who's seen your story](https://help.instagram.com/202055156863605) - [Instagram Help: how long stories remain visible](https://help.instagram.com/1729008150678239) - [Instagram Help: hide or unhide like counts](https://help.instagram.com/113355287252104) - [Instagram Help: who can see when you've liked a photo](https://help.instagram.com/281388201973414) - [Instagram Help: manage who can see your likes](https://help.instagram.com/963701761845404) - [Instagram Help: see recent posts you've liked](https://help.instagram.com/367550509992787) - [Instagram Help: remove your likes from multiple posts](https://help.instagram.com/264538255661767) - [Instagram Help: like or unlike a post](https://help.instagram.com/500150933343536) - [Instagram Help: share a post with multiple photos or videos](https://help.instagram.com/269314186824048) - [Instagram Help: view insights on your posts](https://help.instagram.com/553860108359435) - [Instagram Help: share someone's post from feed to your story](https://help.instagram.com/1013375002134043) - [Instagram Help: secure your Instagram account](https://help.instagram.com/369001149843369) - [Instagram Help: why you should not use apps that offer likes and followers](https://help.instagram.com/263751177667145) - [Instagram Help: account restricted for data scraping](https://help.instagram.com/740480200552298) - [Instagram Help: report a technical problem](https://help.instagram.com/381579045265733) - [Instagram blog (Adam Mosseri, 2023): Instagram ranking explained](https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-ranking-explained)