How to See What Someone Likes on Instagram in 2023: The Ultimate Guide

Hey there! I‘m Mark, a social media geek and marketing expert. If you‘re reading this, you‘re probably wondering:

"How can I see what someone likes on Instagram?"

It‘s a common question, especially among the Instagram-obsessed. Who hasn‘t wanted to uncover more about a friend or crush‘s interests? The good news is, with the right tricks, you can find out at least a portion of what other people are liking on Instagram.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to see what someone likes on Instagram in 2023 and beyond. From checking individual posts to viewing your own likes, you‘ll be a pro at uncovering Instagram likes after reading this!

Overview: Can You See All Instagram Likes?

Let‘s start with a quick overview of how Instagram likes work in 2023. Here are the key facts you need to know:

• There is no longer a "Following" tab that shows a feed of your friends‘ activity, including likes. This was removed in late 2019.

• You cannot see a complete list of every single post or video someone has liked.

• However, you can see a sample of what someone has liked by checking individual posts and follower profiles.

• Any likes made on private profiles or friends‘ posts are only visible to that user.

So in summary – you can uncover a portion of a person‘s likes with some work, but not their full history. Instagram limits what is visible to protect privacy.

Now let‘s dive into step-by-step techniques to see as much as possible…

Technique #1: Check Likes on Individual Posts

The most straightforward way to find someone‘s likes is to manually look at the likes section on their own posts.

Any public account on Instagram can do this for any other public profile – you don‘t need to follow them or be friends. Here‘s how:

1. Go to the profile page of the person you want to check.

2. Tap on any photo or video to open the full-size view.

3. In the likes section, tap on "Liked by [number] and others".

4. This will open a list view showing small user profile pictures of everyone who liked that post.

5. Slowly scroll through the list to see if the account you‘re checking for appears.

Pro Tip: This works best if you check posts that have a high number of likes, as those are more likely to show the user in the list. Aim for posts with 100+ likes for the best chance.

The more posts you manually check, the more likes you‘ll uncover. However, it can be time consuming to scroll through hundreds of likes on each post.

Next, we‘ll look at how to streamline this process further.

Technique #2: View Likes of Friends & Followers

Rather than scrolling through likes on the profile you‘re checking directly, you can also look at likes on related accounts:

• Friends – View likes on posts from people that the user follows or is close friends with.

• Followers – Check likes on posts from accounts that follow the user you‘re interested in.

Since friends and followers frequently interact with each other‘s content, there‘s a good chance your user has liked some of their posts.

Here are the steps:

1. Pick a friend or follower of the account you want to check.

2. Open up their profile and view the likes list on 1-2 recent posts.

3. Scroll through the list of likes to see if your account is there.

4. Repeat with other friends/followers for more chances to spot likes.

This method helps you find likes efficiently by targeting accounts they frequently interact with. Depending on the user, you may uncover dozens of likes this way without having to scroll through thousands manually.

Technique #3: Leverage Instagram Stories

Here‘s one more smart trick to reveal likes:

View likes on Instagram Stories rather than posts.

Stories have a feature where you can swipe up while watching to display a list of other accounts that have liked that Story.

To try this:

1. Find a friend or follower that frequently posts Stories.

2. Watch their recent stories and swipe up on the screen.

3. Check the list of likes to see if your user appears.

The list of likes on Stories tends to be much shorter than feed posts, so it‘s faster to scan for the account you want.

Combine this technique with the first two for a comprehensive approach to uncovering as many likes as possible!

Technique #4: Use a Likes-Tracking App (Limited)

Some third-party apps in the App Store claim they can show you the private likes of other users. However, I don‘t recommend this approach for a few reasons:

• Most don‘t work as advertised – Their ability to access likes data is very limited. At best, they show guesses or partial information.

• Potential account ban – These apps often violate Instagram‘s privacy policies. Using them could risk your account being disabled.

• Security/privacy concerns – You have to give the app full access to your account in order to use their features.

The only way to accurately view everything someone has liked is to have direct access to their logged-in account on the Instagram app. External apps have very limited capabilities when it comes to private user data like likes.

Stick to the previous organic techniques for the best results without risking your account security.

Viewing Your Own Likes Feed on Instagram

Now that we‘ve covered how to see what other people are liking, let‘s discuss how you can view your own likes.

When you like posts, comments, and videos across Instagram, they are saved to your Instagram likes feed. This acts as a collection of all the content you‘ve interacted with.

Here‘s how to view and manage your personal likes feed:

1. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right.

2. Tap the three horizontal lines menu in the top right.

3. Choose "Posts You‘ve Liked" from the menu.

4. This will open your likes feed where you can scroll through and unlike items.

Your likes feed is private and can only be seen by you when logged into your Instagram account. No one else can access it or see the posts you‘ve liked.

Why Instagram Likes Became More Private

You might be wondering – why did Instagram remove the Following tab and make likes more private to begin with?

There‘s a few key reasons driving the shift:

1. User Control Over Privacy

By default, people don‘t expect others to see every single post or video they interact with. Instagram wants to give users more control. Just because you follow someone doesn‘t mean you want them seeing everything.

2. Reduce Social Pressure

Public likes led some users to feel competitive or pressured to only interact with popular posts. Instagram hopes to reduce social comparison by making likes private.

3. Promote Authentic Interaction

With public likes, people could be tempted to like or comment on something just because their friend did. Private likes encourage more authentic interactions.

4. Support Mental Health

For some users, comparing "like counts" caused anxiety or dampened self-esteem. Limiting likes allows people to focus less on popularity.

5. Keep Focus on Photos/Videos

Instagram feels that likes were drawing too much attention away from the visual content itself. They want to promote sharing photos and videos people actually care about.

So in summary – likes are now private to give people more control, reduce pressure, and promote authentic connections. But you can still uncover some of what people like if you get creative!

FAQs About Instagram Likes

Let‘s wrap up with answers to some of the most common questions around seeing Instagram likes:

Can someone see what I‘ve liked on Instagram?

Not exactly. Other users can only see the likes you make on public profiles that aren‘t your personal connections. Any likes on friends‘ posts or private accounts are invisible to others.

What happens if I disable likes on my Instagram posts?

If you disable likes, other people will not be able to see the number of likes your own posts receive. Only you will see the like count on your posts.

Can people tell if I view their Instagram profile?

Nope! Instagram doesn‘t notify users about profile views. The only way someone knows you viewed their profile is if they notice it themselves.

How quickly do my Instagram likes update?

Your likes feed updates very quickly in real-time. As soon as you like new content, it should appear in your feed. Others will also see your likes immediately.

Is there a way to see Instagram likes on desktop?

Currently there is no way to view likes via the web browser interface on desktop. You need the Instagram mobile app to see likes feeds.

Can I tell who views my Instagram Stories?

No, you can‘t see who specifically views your Stories. But you can see the total number of viewers. Instagram doesn‘t share info on individual viewers.

What type of content shows up in the Likes feed?

Your likes feed includes posts, videos, comments, reels, stories, ads, suggested posts, and more. It‘s a visual collection of all the content you‘ve liked while browsing Instagram.

That covers the most frequently asked questions around Instagram likes! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.

The Takeaway: Uncover People‘s Likes Discreetly

While we all have curiosity about what posts and accounts someone interacts with on Instagram, it‘s worth being intentional about how you find this information. Here are some best practices:

• Only check likes on public accounts, not your friends‘ private profiles. Respect personal connections.

• Do it infrequently and discretely. Don‘t let it become obsessive behavior.

• Remember that likes don‘t always represent someone‘s interests accurately. Don‘t make major assumptions.

• Focus on getting to genuinely know the person through conversations and real-life interactions.

At the end of the day, Instagram is about bringing people together and sharing moments through photos and videos. Likes are just one small piece of the puzzle when getting to know someone.

Hopefully this guide has equipped you with better knowledge of how to uncover some of those likes on Instagram. Let me know if you have any other social media tips and tricks you‘d like to learn about in the comments below!