Instagram now allows users to choose to display views instead of likes on their reels. This gives users more control over how engagement is shown on their content. Views can give a better sense of how many people your reel has reached, rather than just showing likes from a smaller subset of viewers.
Why Show Views Instead of Likes?
There are a few reasons why users may want to show views rather than likes on their reels:
- Focus on reach rather than validation from likes
- Avoid feeling pressure to get more likes
- Show authentic engagement with content
- Measure meaningful video views rather than vanity metrics
Views demonstrate how many times your reel has been watched, which can give you a better sense of how engaging your content really is. High view counts look attractive to brands and can help influence collaborations. For some users, focusing on reach and views leads to less pressure and anxiety than chasing likes.
How to Switch to Showing Views
It only takes a few simple steps to change your reel settings and display views instead of likes:
- Go to your profile and tap on the three line menu in the top right corner
- Select “Settings” from the menu
- Go to the “Privacy” section in Settings
- Under “Posts” you will see “Show Like Counts”
- Toggle the setting off to hide like counts
Once you’ve toggled off the “Show Like Counts” setting, views will be shown on all your existing and new reels rather than likes. This is a account-wide setting that will apply to all your reels.
Changing Settings Back to Likes
If you decide showing views isn’t for you, changing the setting back is simple:
- Go back to your Settings
- Under “Privacy” toggle “Show Like Counts” back on
This will again display like counts on all your reels. You can switch between views and likes as often as you want.
Considerations Before Switching to Views
There are a few things to keep in mind before you switch over to views only:
- Metrics: Views and likes tell you different things about how your reels are performing. Consider if you still want to track likes for growth.
- Brand deals: Some brands may still look for likes and engagement rates. Views may not always paint the full picture.
- Audience expectations: Some audiences are accustomed to seeing likes. Views may seem confusing at first to some.
While views can seem more authentic, likes are still an important metric. Use both to get a bigger picture before deciding. Test out views only for a while to see if it achieves your goals.
Maximizing Views on Reels
Here are some tips to get more reel views once you make the switch:
- Optimize hashtags – Use a mix of popular and niche hashtags
- Post at optimal times – Morning and evenings tend to perform best
- Hook viewers fast – Lead with your best content in the first 5 seconds
- Use trending songs and audio
- Engage with your audience – Reply to comments and questions
- Cross-promote on other channels – Share reels across social platforms
- Check analytics – See which reels get the most views and why
- Post consistently – Aim for at least 1 high-quality reel per week
Views reward great content that grabs attention fast. Focus on upping quality and discovery to boost view counts.
Third Party Apps for Tracking Views
While likes will disappear from Instagram, third party analytics apps can still give you insight on your like counts in addition to views. Some popular options include:
- Inspyder: Tracks likes, comments, saves, reach, and more for your reels.
- Iconosquare: Provides engagement metrics and audience demographics.
- Socialinsider: Analyzes hashtags, captions, filters and more to optimize content.
These tools tap into the Instagram API to collect data and give you a dashboard to analyze performance. They cost money but can provide valuable analytics.
Showing Views Only on Specific Reels
Currently Instagram only allows toggling views on and off for your whole account. There is no way yet to display views on some reels but keep likes on others within your profile.
The only option would be to create a separate account just for reels you want to show views on. But this means dividing your audience across accounts. For most users, choosing views or likes for their whole account is ideal.
Best Practices When Switching to Views
To ensure a smooth transition when you switch from likes to views, keep these best practices in mind:
- Analyze your metrics before and after switching
- Inform your audience to expect the change to avoid confusion
- Focus on improving content quality and viewer retention
- Track additional metrics like comments and saves for the full picture
- Reply to feedback and questions from your audience
- Give the change time – it may take a few weeks to see the benefits
With some care taken to switch over smoothly and optimize your strategy, showing views can help take the pressure off likes and support your growth on Instagram.
Troubleshooting Issues with Views
In some cases, you may still run into a few issues when trying to show views on reels:
- Views not showing up: Give it some time, view counts can take a while to calculate and display.
- Views seem stuck: Counts don’t update in real time. Check back in a few hours.
- Views seem inaccurate: Instagram filters out bots, spam, and repeat views from counts.
- Can’t find settings: Make sure your app is updated to the latest version.
- Likes still visible: Toggle “Show Like Counts” off in settings if it got switched on again.
If issues persist, try restarting the app, clearing cache, or reinstalling Instagram. Also report bugs through the app. Problems showing views should resolve fairly quickly as it’s still a new feature.
Showing Views Instead of Likes – Final Takeaways
The option to show views rather than likes on Instagram reels gives you more control over engagement metrics. While likes have value, for many users views provide a less pressured measure of reach.
Optimizing hashtags, captions, timing, and quality can help maximize views after making the switch. But consider keeping tabs on likes via third party apps too for the full picture. Give the feature a test drive to determine if views align better with your goals than likes.
At the end of the day, create reels that resonate with your audience rather than chasing engagement vanity metrics. High quality content that people want to watch will drive both views and likes organically.