How to See What Someone Likes on Instagram
Let’s not lie to each other - we all want to see the likes of other Instagram users! The like feature on Instagram has changed the way we perceive content on social media platforms.
But one thing is checking the Instagram likes you made, and another entirely different thing is seeing other users liked posts.
However, can you actually do this? This GrowFollowing guide will tell you all the info you need about:
- How to see what someone likes on Instagram;
- Can you actually see other people’s Instagram likes?;
- How does seeing another person likes work on Instagram?
Can You See What Someone Likes on Instagram App?
Let’s go straight to the point - there is no special tab on your Instagram account to see any other user likes on the platform.
The only way to see someone’s activity on Instagram, more specifically, Instagram likes, is to manually look for a post and check the Instagram accounts that have liked that post.
Nonetheless, people can hide likes on Instagram posts.
Instagram provides the ability to manage likes in reels, posts and content however users want.
There was a dedicated activity tab where people could show activity status, look at other people’s like in their news feed, manage follower requests, see their friend’s activity, increase interaction with other accounts, and more.
However, Instagram decided that this tab could fall into the category of privacy violations, which is why Instagram removed it back in 2019.
How to See What Someone Likes on Instagram
The first method and only way to see Instagram likes of other users is to manually look for a post, and check if the person appears on the entire list of Instagram accounts that have liked that post.
It’s a rather manual process that takes a while, but if you really want to see a few details regarding user activity on the Instagram app, then this is the only way to do it.
Step 1: Log In to Your Instagram Account
Firstly, log in to your Instagram account on the app as you would normally do. Then, proceed with the following step.
Step 2: Search the Certain User You Want to See Likes Of
Now, manually search for the username of the person you want to find the likes of. Use the search bar feature on the app to do so.
Step 3: Go to the Following Tab and Tap a Single Account
Once you are in the person’s profile, tap on the Following tab. Here, you will see each person’s account that they are following.
What you need to do here is to look for a person that has posted something that you think has received Instagram likes from the person you want to check the likes of.
Kind of tiring, but that’s how things work.
Step 4: Browse Through User’s Posts and Tap on “Other Accounts”
Once you find the post, you will see the like number, and right next to it, a button that says More Accounts.
Here, a row list will show. Remember that you will only be able to open the likes on public accounts or private accounts that you follow.
Step 5: Check If That Person Has Liked the Post
After looking for the username of the person on this likes list, you should see whether they have liked that Instagram post or not.
Once again, we know that this is kind of exhausting to do since you need to manually repeat the process with all posts or reels you find, but it’s the only way to see likes on Instagram.
Why Can’t I See What Someone Likes on Instagram?
Because Instagram removed the tab that allowed you to track someone’s activity, including likes.
This feature is no longer available, and the only way to see likes is to manually look for them.
It is unclear whether a See Likes feature will be implemented in the future, but this is highly unlikely.
Can You See Instagram Activity with Third-Party Applications?
It depends - there are tracker apps created by third-party developers to achieve this, but they are all premium apps that you must pay for.
Some third-party apps on both Apple Play Store and Google Play Store claim that they can help you track someone’s Instagram activity, but Instagram is not so fond of these apps.
This means that your account can get banned if you link too many (or low-quality) third-party applications to your profile.
Besides, you need to grant them full access to your account, which might compromise your privacy.
To summarize, the only way to see likes on Instagram in 2022 is to manually look for the post and then search for the username of the person.
Other than that, don’t expect a native feature to do it. Get more Instagram-related posts here, at GrowFollowing.
FAQ
Can My Girlfriend See What I Liked on Instagram?
Unless she has physical access to your phone or manually searches for the posts you have probably liked, there’s no other way for your girlfriend to see what you liked on Instagram.
Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter here at GrowFollowing. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.