The count of likes reappeared for some Instagram accounts. The change began to be reported more frequently by users from October on Twitter, but there are also reports from previous months. Wanted by dnetc, Instagram said the reappearance of likes is part of a new phase of the test that hid the number of likes from the general public in July.
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According to Google Trends, a tool that monitors Internet searches, searches for the term "Instagram has shown likes again" have been on the rise since November 24th. On Twitter, users complained about the return of the likes.
Instagram again shows the number of likes for some users Photo: Reproduo / dnetc
There were even those who mocked the measure, saying that the mental health of all users of the social network had already been reestablished. That's because when it announced the removal of the likes, Instagram declared that the change was aimed at taking the social pressure out of popularity and reducing the competition climate on the platform.
I didnāt like it at all. Instagram again showed the amount of likes for some usuriospoxa @instagram, it should be left the way it was, without showing the likes. my self-esteem thanks
– November 8, 2019
Wanted by dnetc, Instagram explained that, in fact, the return of likes is part of the same test that hid the likes. In July, when the experiment started in Brazil, the social network had already said that it would analyze the receipt of the test to find out if removing likes can, in fact, change the behavior of users. For now, there is no deadline for the end of tests or return of likes for everyone.
We heard from our community that the number of likes can be a good source for identifying trends and great cultural moments, so we started a new phase of the test to look at other ways to show the number of likes and understand how it affects the experience of Instagram community, the company declared to the dnetc.
Instagram has stopped showing the likes count in Brazil since July 17th. With this, only the content authors themselves can check the number of likes on their posts, and followers no longer have access to this data. The test had been applied in Canada since May, with positive results. According to the company, expanding the experiment to other countries, such as Brazil, was the way found to assess more clearly whether the new resource is really valid.
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