How to See Someone's Hidden Likes on Instagram: Complete Guide
When someone hides their Instagram like count, you can still see who liked individual posts by tapping "Liked by [username] and others" and selecting "others" to view the full list. However, you cannot see the total number of likes when hidden. Instagram's native features allow post authors to hide like counts as a mental health feature, but this also makes it harder to monitor someone's engagement patterns. If you're concerned about a partner's online behavior or late-night Instagram activity, tools like SnoopInsta provide chronological follow tracking and real-time alerts instead of focusing solely on likes.
Understanding Instagram's Hidden Likes Feature
Instagram introduced the ability to hide like counts in 2022 as part of a broader initiative to improve user mental health and reduce anxiety around engagement metrics. According to SkedSocial, this feature was designed to create "a more welcoming online community" by removing the pressure of visible engagement numbers.
When someone hides their like count, the post displays "Liked by [username] and others" instead of showing a specific number. However, this doesn't mean the engagement is invisible — it's just restructured to reduce the obsessive focus on numbers.
What is the Best Way to See Hidden Likes on Instagram?
There are several methods to view engagement on hidden-like posts, but each has limitations depending on your access level:
Method 1: Tap "Others" on the Post (Most Direct)
If you're following someone who hides their like counts, you can still see who engaged with individual posts:
- Open a post where likes are hidden
- Look for "Liked by [username] and others"
- Tap "others" to see a list of all accounts that liked the post
- Scroll through the list to see individual usernames and profiles
This method works because Instagram's hiding feature only obscures the total count — individual engagement data remains visible to followers.
Method 2: Check Instagram Insights (Creator Accounts)
If the account is a creator or business account, you can view their insights only if you manage that account. As SkedSocial notes, "You retain full visibility of your own like counts in Instagram Insights regardless of public settings."
This means the account owner always sees their total likes in their analytics dashboard, even when the count is hidden publicly.
Method 3: Third-Party Tools and Their Limitations
According to NapoleonCat, "Because of the changes in Instagram's algorithm and API, you can no longer view hidden likes with tools like NapoleonCat." Most third-party analytics platforms cannot bypass Instagram's privacy protections to reveal hidden engagement counts.
Tools that claim to show hidden likes from accounts you don't manage are typically unreliable or violate Instagram's terms of service. Any legitimate analytics tool can only track accounts you have administrative access to.
Why Can't You See Hidden Likes? The Technical Reason
Instagram deliberately restricts API access to hidden like counts as a privacy and security measure. The social media platform's decision to hide engagement metrics is enforced at the platform level, meaning:
- External tools cannot access hidden counts without account owner consent
- Only the post author and close friends (in some cases) can see total engagement numbers
- Even following someone doesn't grant you access to their hidden metrics
- Instagram's API does not return hidden like count data to third-party applications
As engagement analytics expert NapoleonCat explains, "If a competitor decided to hide their likes, you're not going to see their like count." This same principle applies when monitoring a partner's or potential date's Instagram activity.
How to Monitor Someone's Instagram Activity: Beyond Just Likes
If you're trying to understand someone's online behavior for relationship concerns — whether it's suspicious late-night activity, following new accounts, or engagement patterns — focusing solely on hidden likes is limiting. SkedSocial recommends tracking broader metrics like comments, engagement-to-follower ratio, follower growth, reach, and referral traffic for a complete picture of someone's online presence.
However, for relationship peace of mind, what matters most is understanding behavioral patterns like:
- Who someone recently started following
- When they're most active on the platform
- Changes in their following patterns or account interactions
- Suspicious activity or accounts they're interacting with
This is where SnoopInsta provides real value. Rather than focusing on the impossible task of seeing hidden likes, SnoopInsta tracks the behaviors that actually matter for relationship concerns: chronological follow history, real-time alerts when someone follows new accounts, and monitoring of multiple accounts simultaneously.
Is It Legal and Ethical to Monitor Someone's Instagram?
This is an important question when considering any monitoring tool. Here's what you need to know:
Legal Considerations
Viewing someone's public Instagram profile, including their publicly visible follows and engagement, is legal. Public social media activity is designed to be viewable by followers. However:
- You cannot hack accounts or access private information without consent
- You cannot use tools that violate Instagram's terms of service
- Monitoring a minor without parental authority has legal implications
- Using obtained information for harassment or blackmail is illegal
Ethical Considerations
Monitoring a partner's or potential date's Instagram raises ethical questions about trust and privacy. The decision to monitor should be driven by genuine relationship concerns — not general paranoia. Legitimate use cases include:
- Checking for infidelity when there are actual warning signs
- Verifying dating app profiles match real accounts
- Monitoring teenage accounts for safety reasons (with parental authority)
- Protecting yourself in long-distance relationships with trust issues
The key is transparency: healthy relationships involve open communication. Monitoring tools should complement, not replace, honest conversations about trust and online behavior.
Why SnoopInsta is Better Than Trying to See Hidden Likes
Chasing hidden like counts is a dead end. Instagram has made it technically impossible and designed specifically to prevent this type of monitoring. Instead, smart relationship monitoring focuses on actionable data:
What SnoopInsta Actually Tracks
- Chronological Follow History: See exactly who someone recently followed and when, displayed in order
- Real-Time Alerts: Get email notifications when someone follows a new account, so you're never caught off-guard
- Multi-Account Monitoring: Track multiple suspicious accounts simultaneously with a single dashboard
- Public and Private Accounts: Monitor both public profiles and private accounts you already follow
- Mobile Access: Check account activity from any device with the web-based dashboard
Real Results From Real Users
With 23K+ suspicious partner accounts currently tracked, SnoopInsta has helped thousands of people gain peace of mind. Hannah, 23, discovered her boyfriend was secretly following his ex through SnoopInsta's follow alerts. Andrew, 35, used the platform to verify a dating app match's intentions before meeting in person.
These aren't about controlling partners — they're about protecting yourself from heartbreak by catching suspicious behavior early. As Hannah says, "I didn't need to see likes. I needed to know if he was being faithful."
Frequently Asked Questions About Hidden Likes and Instagram Monitoring
Can anyone see hidden like counts on Instagram?
Only the post author can see their hidden like counts in their Instagram Insights dashboard. Followers cannot see the total number, though they can still view who liked individual posts by tapping "others".
Do hidden likes disappear completely?
No. As SkedSocial clarifies, "likes do not disappear altogether. The total like count is hidden publicly, but users can still view who has liked a post." The engagement is hidden from the overall count, not hidden entirely.
What if I'm suspicious of my partner's late-night Instagram activity?
Instead of obsessing over likes, focus on behavioral red flags: sudden changes in who they follow, more time spent on the app at odd hours, or following accounts that concern you. SnoopInsta's real-time alerts notify you immediately when someone follows a new account, giving you actual evidence rather than speculation.
Will Instagram know I'm monitoring someone's account?
No. Viewing public profiles and follows on Instagram doesn't trigger notifications to the account owner. SnoopInsta operates similarly — it uses publicly available information without alerting the tracked account. However, if the person notices you're viewing their profile frequently or checking their posts multiple times daily, they may become suspicious.
Is it possible to see hidden likes with paid tools?
No legitimate paid tool can access hidden likes from accounts you don't manage. Any tool claiming to do so is either violating Instagram's terms of service or using outdated methods that no longer work. Focus instead on tools that track behavioral patterns — like follow history — which are actually accessible and reliable.
What's the difference between monitoring and stalking?
Monitoring involves periodic checks of public information for legitimate relationship concerns. Stalking involves obsessive, repeated checking, harassment, or unauthorized access to private information. If you feel compelled to check someone's account multiple times daily, the relationship may have deeper trust issues that need addressing through communication, not monitoring tools.
The Bottom Line: Skip Hidden Likes, Focus on What Matters
Trying to see someone's hidden Instagram likes is technically impossible without account access, and Instagram deliberately designed it that way. The platform's choice to hide engagement numbers is permanent and benefits user mental health.
Instead of wasting energy on inaccessible data, invest in monitoring tools that track actual relationship concerns: following patterns, engagement with new or suspicious accounts, and behavioral changes. SnoopInsta provides chronological follow history and real-time alerts for exactly this reason — to give you peace of mind by tracking behaviors that actually indicate infidelity or deception.
If you're suspicious enough to want to monitor someone's Instagram, you already have a trust problem. The solution isn't better monitoring tools — it's either rebuilding trust through communication or making the decision to move on. But if you choose to monitor, make it count by tracking metrics that actually reveal suspicious behavior.
Start getting alerts today. SnoopInsta makes it easy to monitor relationship concerns on Instagram with real-time notifications and chronological tracking. Contact us at hello@snoopinsta.com if you have questions about how we can help you gain peace of mind.
