How to See What Someone Likes on Instagram (What Still Works)

Can you see what someone likes on Instagram?

No, you cannot see a full list of what someone likes on Instagram. The only full list of liked posts lives under Your activity, and only the account owner can open it.

What you can see is smaller and more scattered. You can see a person's like on any single post you can open, you can spot their name under posts in your own feed, and you can check the likes between the two of you.

If you only want to know whether a friend liked your own post, you need none of these workarounds. Open your post's likes list and search their name, or check your activity feed under the heart icon, where Instagram lists new likes on your posts.

What happened to the Instagram Following activity tab?

Instagram removed the Following activity tab in October 2019. That tab once showed the likes, comments and new follows of the accounts you followed, all in one feed.

Engadget, citing BuzzFeed News, reported the removal on October 7, 2019. Instagram's Vishal Shah said many people did not know their activity appeared there, and that "Simplicity was the driving factor." Since then, the heart icon shows only activity on your own account.

That change is why the old answer to "how can I see what someone likes on Instagram" no longer works. Guides that still tell you to open a Following tab describe an app that does not exist anymore.

How to see someone's likes on Instagram, one post at a time

To check whether one person liked a specific post, open that post's likes list and search for their username. The likes list works on any post you can see, not just your own.

1. Open the post or Reel you want to check.
2. Tap the like count, or the line under the post that says "Liked by" a name "and others".
3. Tap the search bar at the top of the list.
4. Type the person's username. If they liked the post, their account appears.

The same steps work on Reels. Open the Reel, tap the number next to the heart, and search the list. On carousels, the likes list covers the whole post, not single slides.

This method has two limits. It only works on posts you can open, so a private account's posts stay closed unless you follow it. And when the owner hides the like count, you will not see the total, only some names.

On your own posts, the list is always complete. Our step-by-step guide on how to see who liked your post on Instagram covers photos, Reels and comments.

How to see likes between you and someone with Shared activity

Shared activity shows the likes, comments and tags between you and one other account. The Instagram Help Center says the feature only works when one or both of you follow the other, and it is on the mobile app and iPad.

From the other person's profile

1. Open Instagram on your phone or iPad.
2. Go to the profile of someone you follow or who follows you.
3. Tap the three-dot menu at the top right of their profile.
4. Tap See shared activity.

From your own Following list

1. Go to your profile and tap Following.
2. Tap the three-dot menu next to the account.
3. Tap See shared activity.

Shared activity lists the likes you have each left on the other's photos and Reels, the comments, any tags, and when you followed each other. It does not show what that person likes on anyone else's posts. The Help Center adds that you can manage your shared activity from this screen by removing shared content.

Why do you see friends' names under posts in your feed?

You see a friend's name under a post because Instagram shows a few usernames of people you follow who liked it. That line is the closest thing left to the old Following tab, and it is the reason your own likes are not secret.

The Instagram Help Center explains that anyone who can see a post can see your like on it, and that your followers can see your username under posts you have liked. A like on a public post from a private account is still visible to everyone who opens that post.

The names come from accounts you follow, so the line only helps with people you follow. You cannot choose which names appear, and the line only shows up on posts that reach your feed. So it gives you glimpses of what people like, not a list. If you want to tidy up what your own likes say about you, see how to delete Instagram likes.

Why third-party Instagram like tracker apps are risky

Apps that claim to show what someone likes, or to let you see Instagram likes anonymously, are not connected to Instagram and cannot reach data Instagram does not share. Many ask for your Instagram login, which is the real risk.

The Instagram Help Center warns that giving a non-Instagram app your username and password can give it complete access to your account. Such an app can read your private messages, learn about your friends and post spam from your profile.

• Never give your password to an app or site that offers likes, followers or activity reports.
• Change your password straight away if you already did.
• Review connected apps in your settings and remove any you do not trust.

Instagram also states it can limit or disable accounts that use these apps, and it removes the fake engagement they create. No app gives you a safe shortcut to someone's like history.

Can people see what you like on Instagram?

People can see your like on any post they can see, but nobody else can open your full list of liked posts. That list, under Your activity, shows only to you.

1. Go to your profile and tap the menu (three lines) at the top right.
2. Tap Your activity.
3. Tap Likes under Interactions.

The Instagram Help Center says this screen shows the 300 most recent posts you have liked. Older likes still exist on those posts, so other people can still find your name by opening a post's likes list. For more on what stays visible when like counts are turned off, read about hidden likes on Instagram.

Likes work as public social proof on every post. That is why creators care about the number on a fresh post, and why some choose to buy Instagram likes for a new post using only its public link. Bought likes give the post social proof; they do not create real fans or sales by themselves.