It's very easy to like someone's post on Instagram by mistake. Whether you accidentally double-tap the post or hit the heart button below, Instagram will send them a notification almost immediately. However, if you were to like then unlike an Instagram post, would they still get the notification?
In this article, we will discuss what happens when you accidentally like and then unlike an Instagram post. In addition, we will give you some tips to prevent this from happening.
Does anyone see your likes and dislikes on Instagram?
It's probably safe to say that everyone with an Instagram account has liked someone's post by accident at least once. That's because it's incredibly easy to do: just tap on it. Accidental likes usually happen when you're scrolling through your feed or when you want to zoom in on a photo. To like or "heart" an Instagram post, simply double-tap it or tap the heart button below the post, and the person who posted the post will be notified immediately.
Accidentally liking someone's post can be very embarrassing, especially if it's a post they uploaded three years ago, or if you weren't supposed to be on their profile in first place. This can be taken as a sign that you have stalked their profile.
Luckily, it's just as easy to not look like someone's Instagram post. You just need to press the heart button again, which is now red. Keep in mind that if you double tap on the same Instagram post, you won't regret it.
While your like will be deleted immediately, will that person know that you liked their Instagram post, even if only for a second? It's all about timing and that's why: if you like someone's Instagram post, they'll get a notification. However, as soon as you dislike the post, the notification will be removed. If the person whose post you accidentally liked was online at the time, they would see the notification. On the other hand, if they weren't on their phone at the time, the next time they open their Instagram, the notification won't be there.
Naturally, the more time there is between the similar and the different, the greater the chance that they will see it. For example, if you liked someone's Instagram post by accident, but didn't realize it until five minutes later, you give the other person a five-minute window to check their Instagram notifications. To increase your chances of going unnoticed, it's best to unlike the post as soon as possible.
These types of Instagram notifications are otherwise known as push notifications. If the person whose photo you accidentally liked has their push notifications turned off, then you're safe. It also depends on your luck. Accounts that have thousands of followers and receive hundreds of likes and comments daily tend to turn off push notifications to avoid constant distractions. But Instagram users with a smaller number of followers can also opt out if they don't like receiving notifications.
If you're wondering what would happen if you accidentally liked someone's Instagram post twice in a row (or even multiple times) and unlike that, it would have the same result.
Additional FAQs
How to avoid accidental likes on Instagram?
Besides being extremely careful, there is no definite way to prevent accidental likes on Instagram. However, if you want to view someone's profile and make sure you don't accidentally like something, you can do that with Airplane mode.
Be careful when looking at someone's Instagram post
Accidentally liking someone's Instagram post can be very uncomfortable. No matter how long it takes between you liking and disliking the post, there's always a small chance they'll see the notification. To avoid this, you can either block this user, temporarily disable your account, or turn on airplane mode when you want to see their post.
Have you ever accidentally liked and then hated someone's Instagram post before? What did you do? Let us know in the comments section below.
