How To See Who Likes What on Instagram

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Jul 25, 2024

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It’s natural sometimes to be curious about what someone likes on social media platforms. Maybe you want to see whose photos your significant other is liking. Or perhaps you’re a business owner or influencer who wants to learn more about the content your target audience enjoys. Today, we’re diving into how to see who likes what on Instagram.

We’ll tell you straight-up that Instagram doesn’t have convenient features that let you see people’s likes willy-nilly. But we’re happy to share workarounds that can help you figure out what content people are liking on the app. If you want to learn more, then keep scrolling!

A woman with brown, curly hair holding up a magnifying glass over her eye.

How To See Other People’s Likes on Instagram: Is It Possible?

You might wonder how to see other people’s likes on Instagram. The straight-up answer is you can’t. Instagram doesn’t currently have a feature that lets you see a specific user’s liked content.

Some years back, Instagram had an activity tab on the app. In this tab, you could see the activity status of everyone you followed. Whenever someone liked a piece of content, it would show up there. It was an easy way to see who was liking and commenting on what post. But today, it no longer exists.

You might see a few third-party applications claiming that they can show you the content any user has liked. However, since Instagram doesn’t publicize anyone’s liked content, that information is not accessible online. These third-party apps have no way of fetching the data, and they’re likely overpromising something they can’t possibly deliver. So, always be wary of these apps when looking for sly ways on how to see someone’s likes on Instagram.

Someone tapping their phone screen to like a photo on Instagram.

How To See Who Likes What on Instagram by Checking Individual Posts

Many people who scroll through social media every day give out Instagram likes left and right. They’ll hit that heart icon on the content they find interesting, helpful, and entertaining. And while it’s impossible to see in real time whenever someone likes a post, you can still get this intel. How? By checking individual posts to see their like count, of course. Here are some easy step-by-step instructions on how to do that:

  1. Open your Instagram app on your chosen target device (whether on mobile or desktop, the process is the same).
  2. Look for the post you’re curious about.
  3. Click on the like counter at the bottom of the post. This can look something like “[total number] likes.” Depending on your settings, you might also see something along the lines of “Liked by [user] and others.” 
  4. Select others. This will lead you to the full list of people who have liked that post.

Path Social’s screenshot of an Instagram post with a pink box highlighting its like count.

  1. Scroll through the list to see who has liked that piece of content. You can also use the search bar at the top of the screen to see if specific users liked it.

And there you have it—your way in when it comes to finding out who likes what online. It’s not perfect and it’s tedious, but it’s an accurate method for how to see what someone likes on Instagram.

How To Check Your Own IG Likes

Now, you finally know the answer to the question, “How can I see what someone liked on Instagram?” But another handy feature you should be aware of on Instagram is how to see your likes.

Yup, you heard that right. While Instagram doesn’t let users see the content everyone else has liked, you can sift through your own liked posts.

There are huge benefits to knowing how to go through content you’ve liked in the past. Maybe you’re trying to look for a cool video or important carousel post that you never saved or bookmarked. Going through your liked content might be a great way to find it. Plus, it’s fun to see all the content you’ve given love to all on one page!

So, here’s how to see your liked content on Instagram, step by step:

1. Open the Instagram app and head to your profile.

2. Click the three horizontal lines at the top-right corner of your screen to open your settings.

3. Under How to use Instagram, click Your activity.

Path Social’s screenshot of the Instagram account settings with a pink box highlighting the “Your activity” button.

4. In the Interactions section, tap Likes. This leads you to a page where you can see all the content you’ve liked in the past.

Path Social’s screenshots of the IG “Your activity” settings highlighting “Likes” and the page that shows liked posts.

Pro tip: Use the filters at the top of the page to navigate the page more effectively. You can filter your liked posts from newest to oldest and even choose a date range. You can also filter them by content type, whether they’re feed posts or Reels.

IG Likes Not Showing—Why Can’t I See Someone’s Like Count?

Do you have an issue with IG likes not showing and don’t know what’s causing it? Well, you might not see the full list of who liked a post if the poster hides their like count.

You might remember that in 2019, CNN reported that Instagram would start hiding like counts on its app’s posts. This was an effort to remove the pressure of getting the most likes possible on Instagram. By doing so, Instagram sought to help improve the effect of social media platforms on people’s mental health and anxiety. Its goal was also to place the focus of the app back on aesthetically pleasing, impactful content, not driving likes.

Now, everyone has a choice of whether to hide the like counter on the IG content they publish. If someone chooses to do so, other people won’t be able to see the total number of likes. They also won’t freely get to sift through every single user who has liked that post. So, if not all the likes are showing up on someone’s post, it might be because of that.

After learning how to see someone’s likes on IG, you might get overexcited with checking every post’s like count. But it’s important to remember that Instagram has limits for that, too. Hiding the total liker list for posts with hidden likes is one of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check someone’s activity on Instagram?

There’s currently no way to keep tabs on a specific user’s activity status on Instagram. It used to be super easy to track with the old activity tab. But since its removal, no one can see anyone else’s every move on the app.

Can you see private Instagram likes?

Yes, you can see if someone has liked a specific post, even if that person is in private mode. Regardless of whether you have a private or public account, liking a public post makes your like visible to others. You still end up on the list of total likers for these public posts.

Can I hide what I like on Instagram?

As of writing, it’s not possible to hide what you like on Instagram. Even if you have a private page, your likes will show up on the posts you interact with. If you don’t want your circle seeing what posts you like, consider making a secondary account or a “finsta.”

How do you see the Reels liked by someone on Instagram?

You can’t see a list of all the Reels a user has liked or interacted with. But you can look at the list of people who have liked a specific Reel.

All you have to do is open the Reel on your device. On the right of the Reel, you’ll see a heart icon with either Likes or a number below it. The latter refers to the number of total likes on that Reel. Click on Likes or the number of likes to see the full list of people who liked that Reel.

Can You See What People Like on Instagram?

So, at the end of the day, can you see what people like on Instagram? Yes and no. You can definitely find out who has liked a specific post by going through that content’s like count. However, there’s no existing activity tab on Instagram that lets you see what people like in real time.

Consistently checking which posts your target audience likes can help you craft better content for your Instagram profile. That way, you can reel in followers and make them solid fans of your page. That’s what makes knowing how to see who likes what on Instagram valuable.

But that’s not the only way you can boost your Instagram presence. You can also grow your account effectively with a growth service like Path Social. We take your engaging content and promote it to your niche target audience. This brings tons of new, interested fans to your page, boosting reach, engagement, and overall follower count. 

Want to grow your community of loyal followers who engage with your content? Work with Path Social today!