Instagram Will Soon Let You Like Comments, or Even Turn Them Off Completely
On Tuesday the social network declared that it will allow users like specific comments on Instagram posts, much as they can on Facebook. A feature that began rolling out in November will soon permit all users to “like” comments by tapping a heart icon next to it.
“Liking lets you show support and encourages positivity throughout the community,” Kevin Systrom, CEO and co-founder of Instagram, said in the blog post.
Systrom said that while some accounts have been able to stop the flow of comments in the past, the choice will be open to all of Instagram's 500 million users in the coming weeks.
In the blog post, the network also pointed out that it's possible for users to anonymously report posts that recommend self-harm; Instagram links users whose friends have reported concerns about their posts with organizations that can help with those issues. The company has used a form of this reporting tool on its network since October.
Instagram is also improving safety features on the app to make it easier for people to block offensive comments or limit who can see their posts. Following the update, a user will be able to remove followers on private accounts as well as turn comments off for specific posts.
To ‘like’ comments we have to Select a single post or expand the comments section in our feed using the 'View [X] comments' or the 'more' option.
Next to each comment we will see a greyed-out heart icon. Press the heart and it will change to pink to register our Like. The graphic and animation are identical to how it appears when we 'Like' a post.