Instagram have begun hiding the 'like' count on photos in some countries including Australia and Japan.
Instead of seeing a number under your picture to tally up how many of your followers have 'liked' your photo, Instagram users in the test countries just see a name and then the text 'and others' listed alongside it.
This means the only person who can see how many 'likes' one of your photos received is you. In other words, Instagrammers can still check but only for your own posts.
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According to the BBC, the testing is being carried out in the aforementioned countries as well as New Zealand, Ireland, Italy and Brazil in order to 'remove the pressure' of using the app.
'We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive so you can focus on sharing the things you love,' Mia Garlick, Facebook Australia and New Zealand's director of policy said, adding that she wants users to feel less judged.
While you won't be able to see how many 'likes' other people's posts have garnered, you will still be able to see the list of people who have liked other people's pictures by clicking onto it, just like you can do now.
Instagram, as well as other social media platforms, have come under scrutiny in recent years when it comes to the wellbeing of their users. There's been calls for the tech companies to introduce measures to make their sites a more positive, less pressurising space especially for young people.
Selena Gomez, one of Instagram's most followed profiles, even deleted the app after explaining it left her feeling low and affected her self-esteem, saying she believed it to have 'become really unhealthy for young people'.
The CEO of Instagram recently responded to Gomez' comments, saying he would 'love to hear from her' on others on ways to improve the platform.
'We like the criticism,' he said. 'We like to have the conversation.'
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Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.
