While TikTok enthusiasts may have found their way back to the app, the possibility of a ban in the U.S. looms over them like a dark cloud. On another front, Instagram Reels users are grappling with a predicament of their own, courtesy of Meta. The platform has introduced features that allow users to easily see which reels their friends have appreciated. This development brings with it two significant implications: not only can users track which content their friends enjoy, but their friends can also scrutinize their own likes.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, unveiled these updates in a Friday post. Here’s a breakdown of what you can now expect: upon accessing Reels, a new bar will appear in the upper right corner displaying the profile images of friends who have liked a specific reel. By tapping on this bar, users will be directed to a curated feed titled “With friends,” showcasing only the reels that their friends have shown appreciation for. Observations suggest that most reels in this feed receive a like from just one friend, although there are instances of multiple friends showing interest.

Regardless of whether a reel has a single like or several, users can click on any displayed profile picture to verify the like and even respond directly. Additionally, a response bar at the bottom allows for direct reactions, ranging from laughter to tears, or expressing being “in love” with a particular video.

When responding to a friend’s like, a direct message (DM) will be sent their way. This DM includes a thumbnail of the reel along with your message or emoji reaction beneath it. The message will be accompanied by the phrase “Replied to your like,” clarifying that this communication is specifically in response to their interaction, rather than just an attempt to share something you enjoyed.

A Shift in Visibility for Likes

Some elements of this experience aren’t entirely new. Frequent scrollers on Reels may notice that Instagram often indicates when friends have liked a reel currently in view. However, these recent changes make those likes significantly more prominent. Previously, users might stumble upon friends’ likes in a more casual fashion, but now they can actively browse through friends’ preferred content, leading to an increased frequency of liked videos encountered.

There is a case to be made that this change facilitates the discovery of enjoyable content, as it implies shared interests among friends. However, there is also a counterargument suggesting that amplifying the visibility of likes may lead individuals to refrain from liking reels altogether. Instagram Reels serve as an abyss of content; the finely-tuned algorithms typically curate videos that users find engaging or amusing, yet these might not appeal to others. Furthermore, there are those quirky, absurd videos that many would prefer to keep their enjoyment of a secret rather than openly endorse.

Controlling Who Sees Your Likes

If these changes induce discomfort, the unfortunate news is that there seems to be no current method to turn off this feature. Although Instagram allows users to hide their likes on posts and reels, it does not provide an option to prevent others from viewing which reels have been appreciated. As it stands, if you express your fondness for a video, it’s prudent to assume that your friends may discover this during their own scrolling adventures.