Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Instagram Tests New Dislike Button for Comments

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
67,604
37,992


Instagram is testing a "dislike" button that can be used for comments, Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed today. The dislike button is designed to give people a "private" way to signal that they don't feel good about a particular comment.

Instagram-Feature-1.jpg

Mosseri says that the feature is just a test at the current time, but the goal is to help "make comments more friendly." If the test goes well, the dislike signal could be integrated into comment ranking to move disliked comments lower down in the comment section of an Instagram post or reel.

There is no dislike count for posts, nor can the post creator or other commenters see if a user has disliked a post. Dislikes are an internal signal hidden from users. In a statement to TechCrunch, an Instagram spokesperson said the company is testing the feature with a small number of users.
We're working on ways to help people better control their Instagram experience and what they're seeing on the app. We're testing a new button next to each comment on a Reel or Feed post for people to privately signal they don't feel good about that particular comment or find it relevant. We're testing this with a very small group of people to start. Later, we may also test moving these comments lower down in the comments section to help create a better experience.
Click to expand...
Users who have access to the dislike feature will see a downward pointing arrow available to tap, which is similar to the downvote feature that Reddit uses.

Article Link: Instagram Tests New Dislike Button for Comments
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/02/14/instagram-comment-dislike-button/
  • Like
Reactions: officialtlong, JustSomebody12, steve333 and 1 other person
At least it’s private and applies only to you, every single site I’ve ever been in that has a comment ranking system it is completely abused, even MacRumors back when it had upvotes/downvotes for a while before repeatedly changing the system up after too many users couldn’t behave and use it correctly.

On Reddit it’s supposed to be only for comments that add nothing to the discussion, but it gets treated as the “I disagree” button, if comments are downvoted enough they are pushed to the bottom of the page and even hidden, which stifles discussion and only opinions that agree with the status quo of the particular subreddit are seen. This often leads to Redditors being completely blindsided by reality because they were so surrounded by people who agree with them that they assumed everyone felt the same way.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Love
Reactions: justkurious, Arran, drrich2 and 7 others
On Reddit or MacRumors downvotes are ok because we are anons. Doesn’t matter if someone leaves you a like or a dislike. Goes over the head.

On IG many are not anons and with Zuck now forcing us to watch certain content again people will get into fights over being downvoted, there will be violence, and there will be deaths.

He probably knows this and doesn’t care. Anything for more traffic and violence is high traffic.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: arkitect, JustSomebody12, Rokkus76 and 6 others
Instagram is testing a "dislike" button that can be used for comments, Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed today. The dislike button is designed to give people a "private" way to signal that they don't feel good about a particular comment.
Click to expand...
Let the disliking of all Zuckerberg posts commence.
 
turbineseaplane said:
I've found the best way to use Instagram and have "self control" be no issue at all ... is use it in a web browser only

It's simply not enjoyable or addictive in the way it would be on an iPhone and the "endless and mindless swiping"
Click to expand...

Same for me, only on desktop and in a browser. I also run an extension that blocks any suggested content, so I only see things posted by accounts I'm subscribed to, and in chronological order.
 
  • Like
  • Love
  • Wow
Reactions: amartinez1660, gusmula, TheLunaPark and 2 others
MacRumors said:
There is no dislike count for posts, nor can the post creator or other commenters see if a user has disliked a post.
Click to expand...
This feature is totally useless if the dislike count is hidden. Also totally useless if there is no dislike button for the content.

Also seeing who dislikes should be transparent for creators that way if it’s a troll dislike, creators can block it or report for spam.
 
Dislike buttons are wonderful. We should be able to dislike a post, just as much as we are able to like one. It actually silences people to hinder them from having a public dislike button.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 173080 and gusmula
Wait. Why is it new? Pretty sure it used to be present on "social" sites before.

Are they going to present it as an Instagram "innovation" that they spent billions on?
 
nottorp said:
Wait. Why is it new? Pretty sure it used to be present on "social" sites before.

Are they going to present it as an Instagram "innovation" that they spent billions on?
Click to expand...
Where did you see that they called it an innovation or that they spent billions on it? And no, I dont recall this being a feature on any of the major social media platforms, certainly not instagram.
 
  • Like
Reactions: miq
ozreth said:
Where did you see that they called it an innovation or that they spent billions on it? And no, I dont recall this being a feature on any of the major social media platforms, certainly not instagram.
Click to expand...

Yea, there was never a thumbs down or dislike on any Meta product/service..
 
When will people understand that "Like" and "Dislike" buttons/emojis have no value? Let me explain.

Suppose someone posts a comment and you press a "Dislike" button showing that you disliked that comment. Have you really changed anything about that comment? The only thing you've really done is show your dislike of that comment. You've read a comment, then your mind disagreed with the comment.. and then you pressed a "Dislike" button. Your dislike of the comment was settled before you ever pressed the button. So, since it was already settled in your mind, why press the button at all? These buttons and emojis do nothing more than take up space and cause people more work - both physical and mental work. And, if the commenter has low self-esteem then a number of dislikes may actually damage that person emotionally. Is that the goal of dislikes.. to damage people? Praise works the same way, seeing that someone "Liked" your comment doesn't magically improve your self worth.

Likes and Dislikes are nothing more than opinions. Our value and identity as human beings are not based on the opinions of other human beings. If we allow our perspective to be altered by opinions then we are only doing as good as we're being treated. What kind of life is that?

Instead of coding in a Like or Dislike system, perhaps developers could focus on something that will improve software.. like fixing bugs? I'm all for freedom of speech, but we must remember that someone's words are not what define us.
 
  • Like
Reactions: amartinez1660
tcphoto1 said:
Oh, the humanity there's going to be a lot of upset snowflakes...
Click to expand...
Perhaps that is part of the goal? Adding a "Dislike" button will increase engagement. Think about it, when has conflict not drawn a crowd? Adding a dislike button will inevitably increase their need for Moderators.. they're better off without that silly button.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back