Liking and unliking posts on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is a common occurrence. With just a quick tap of the “like” button, users can show appreciation or agreement with a post. However, sometimes people may hit “like” impulsively and then immediately regret liking the post. This leads many to wonder: what happens if you like a post and then unlike it right away?
The Post Owner is Notified of the Like
When you like a post, the owner of that post is notified that you liked it. This happens instantly, before you have a chance to unlike it. So if you quickly like and then unlike a post, the post owner will still get a notification that you liked it initially. The owner will just not get a second notification when you unliked it.
For example, if you impulsively like your friend’s vacation photo but then regret it and unlike it, your friend will still get notified that you liked the photo. There is no way to take back that initial like notification.
The Like Count May Temporarily Increase
In addition to notifying the post owner, liking a post also increases the like count displayed on the post. So if you like a post, the like count will instantly go up by 1. If you then quickly unlike it, the like count will decrease by 1 again.
However, there can be a slight delay between the time you like and unlike. During this brief period, the like count on the post will appear higher than it should be. Once the “unlike” action registers, the count will return to normal.
For example, say a post has 105 likes. You like it, so it goes up to 106 likes. But you then unlike it 5 seconds later. During those 5 seconds, the post will display 106 likes even though your like is already canceled out.
You May Temporarily Follow or Subscribe
On some platforms like YouTube and Twitter, liking a post also means you temporarily follow or subscribe to that account. When you like a YouTube video or Twitter tweet, you automatically become a follower or subscriber of that channel or profile.
So if you like and then unlike a post, for a brief period you will appear to follow or subscribe to that account. Once you unlike, you will unfollow or unsubscribe.
For example, say you like a tweet from an account you don’t actually want to follow. For a few seconds you will show up as one of their followers. But when you unlike the tweet, you will unfollow them as well.
It May Show Up in Your Liked Posts History
Some platforms keep track of all the posts you have ever liked. So even if you quickly unlike a post, it may still show up in your history of liked posts temporarily.
On Instagram, your liked posts are private and only visible to you. If you like and then unlike a post, it will briefly appear in your liked posts history before disappearing when you unliked it.
On Twitter, your liked tweets are public. So if you like and unlike a tweet rapidly, people who visit your Likes tab may briefly see that tweet before it disappears.
You Can Undo the Like Notification
While you cannot take back the initial like notification that the post owner receives, some platforms let you send a follow up message to undo it.
On Facebook and Instagram, you can send the post owner an apology message explaining that you liked their post by accident and didn’t mean to. While this doesn’t delete the original notification, it at least communicates to them that the like was unintentional.
Twitter does not have a built-in messaging system, so you would need to tweet directly at the user or send them a DM apologizing for the accidental like. This lets them know you don’t actually endorse the content.
It Has Minimal Long Term Effects
Liking and immediately unliking a post has minimal effects in the long run. The post owner will get notified, but will also see you unliked it quickly after. The like count and your follow/subscription status will all return to normal. And it will disappear from your liked history.
So while a rapid like and unlike may seem embarrassing in the moment, its effects are fleeting. The other person is unlikely to dwell on the notification or be offended once they see you undid it.
You Can Adjust Your Settings
If you find yourself habitually liking posts accidentally, you can adjust your settings to add an extra step before liking.
On Instagram, you can enable the “Confirm Likes” setting. This will make a confirmation pop-up appear before anything you like is registered.
Twitter has the “Liking Tweets requires an extra tap” option. This adds an extra click to like so you don’t do it impulsively.
Enabling these can prevent accidental likes that you immediately need to undo. They give you a chance to confirm whether you really want to like something.
Conclusion
Liking and immediately unliking a post has some temporary effects like notifying the owner and bumping up the like count briefly. But it does not have major lasting consequences. The notification cannot be taken back, but you can apologize to the owner. And the effects on follow status and like counts resolve themselves quickly when you undo the action. To prevent impulsive likes, adjusting your settings to require confirmation is a good solution.
| Platform | Owner notified | Like count increased temporarily | Follow/Subscribe temporarily | Visible in like history briefly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Publicly | |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Other Key Points
- You can undo the notification by apologizing to the owner for the accidental like.
- Over time, the effects are minimal and unlikely to be meaningful.
- Adjusting your settings to require confirming likes can prevent this issue.