Facebook may take a page out of its own playbook by removing like counts, similar to what’s being tested on Instagram.
Hidden like counts in Facebook were first spotted by app reverse-engineering expert, Jane Manchun Wong:
Facebook is working to hide like counts, too!https://t.co/WnUrM12aZg
Tip @Techmeme pic.twitter.com/TdT73wT6A0
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) September 2, 2019
Facebook later confirmed to TechCrunch that it is considering removing like counts, but no further information was provided.
Unlike Instagram’s test of removing like counts, which is currently live in several countries, Facebook has not yet rolled this change out to its users.
This was likely never meant to be discovered in the first place, but that’s par for the course when it comes to the features found by Jane Manchun Wong.
Instagram’s test hides total like counts for everyone except the post’s author. The screenshots shared by Wong indicate that Facebook’s hidden likes will work the same way.
Hiding like counts is a change that’s designed to put more focus on the content being published, rather than how many likes a post has received.
This can result in a more positive experience for users as it prevents them from comparing the amount of likes their posts receive with the amount of likes on content published by others.
In other words, it can help users enjoy the time they spend on an app, which may encourage them to use the app more often. So it’s a win-win for users and Facebook/Instagram.
Instagram hasn’t revealed any data on its hidden likes test, but the fact that hidden likes may be rolled out to Facebook is evidence that the test is not a failure.
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