Instagram removes 'like' counts in several countries

'We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they're getting,' says head of Facebook-owned app

Instagram and other social media apps have faced pressure concerning the potential mental health issues arttributed to use of their platforms (Getty Images)

Instagram has rolled out a feature that prevents users from seeing how many ‘likes’ posts have.

The Facebook-owned app claims it will help its users worry less about the success or popularity of posts on the platform.

People in Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand will have the number of likes that a post receives hidden from their feeds, following a trial of the feature in Canada.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri explained the decision earlier this year when the feature was first tested.

“We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they’re getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about,” he said.

The move follows several studies that appeared to link social media pressures with mental health issues.

“We want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves,” said Mia Garlick, Facebook’s head of policy in Australia and New Zealand.

“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.”

Not all users are happy with the move, with many taking to social media to complain about how it could affect the income opportunities of influencers.

“What about the people using it for income?” one user wrote on Twitter. “The people who work hard creating content, to then have their hard work not praised/not shown how successful it was to others?”