How to see what someone likes on Instagram
Until 2019 you could open the Following tab in the Instagram activity feed and watch the posts your friends were liking. Instagram removed it, and nothing replaced it. So today the honest answer to “how do I see what someone likes on Instagram?” is: you mostly cannot. This guide covers the few places likes are still visible, why apps that promise a person’s full like history are not credible, and what you can do instead.
Can you see what someone else likes on Instagram?
Not in any complete way. Instagram does not show you a list of the posts another account has liked, and it does not let you look at their “liked posts” page. The only place you can view your own likes is under your account activity settings.
The Following tab, which showed recent likes and comments by people you follow, was removed in 2019 and has not returned. Any guide telling you to “tap the heart, then Following” is describing a feature that no longer exists.
That is also why no outside tool, Peekd included, can honestly show another person’s like history. Instagram does not expose the data, so an app can only be guessing or collecting something it should not.
Where likes are still visible
You can piece together some likes manually, within these limits:
| Where | What you can see | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| The like list on a post | Who liked that specific post | You must already know the post; some posts hide like counts |
| Your own posts | Everyone who liked them | Only your own content |
| Comments | Who commented, and their replies | Not likes |
| Your own activity page | Your own likes, comments, and more | Only your account |
To check whether a person liked a specific post, open the post and tap the like count to see the list, then search for their username. That answers “did they like this one?” but not “what have they liked lately?”.
Some accounts also hide like counts on their posts, which makes even that check impossible.
Why “see someone’s likes” apps are not trustworthy
Search results are full of tools claiming to show a person’s likes, hidden activity or full history. Treat these promises with caution:
- They need your password. That gives them control of your account, and it can get you locked out or flagged.
- They show invented or irrelevant results, or only the likes visible on posts you could already open yourself.
- They never work on private accounts. If you cannot see it on Instagram, a third party cannot either.
Our guide to Instagram stalker apps lists what these tools can and cannot do and the red flags to look for.
What you can track instead
If what you really want to know is who someone is paying attention to, follows are a more accessible signal than likes, because following lists are visible on public profiles. Peekd tracks follows and unfollows on public accounts, with dates from when you start tracking, and alerts you when something changes. You can also view public stories anonymously with the story viewer. To get started, see how to see who someone recently followed.
Follows are still a weak signal about attention. Someone can like a post and never follow the account, and follow without ever liking. Use any of this as context, not proof, particularly when it concerns a partner. Our guide on partner follows talks about that more honestly.
A note on privacy
Instagram intentionally limits who can see what someone likes. That protects you, too. Your own likes are not published in a feed for others to browse. If you do not want people to see that you liked a post, you cannot hide an individual like from the post owner, but you can limit who sees your account by making it private.
Respect those limits when you are on the other side. If you feel a need to monitor another person’s likes, it can be worth asking whether the real issue is trust or curiosity, and whether a direct conversation would help more than more data.
A practical workaround for one specific post
If you are trying to confirm one thing, such as whether a particular person liked a particular photo, you do not need an app. Open the post, tap the like count, and use the search box at the top of the list to look for the username. For your own posts this is quick and reliable. For other people’s posts it only works if the account is public (or you follow it) and the post shows its likes.
If the post hides its like count, or you do not have access, there is no legitimate way around it, and the answer is simply unknowable from the outside. That is a limit of Instagram, not of any particular tool.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see what posts someone liked on Instagram?
No, not as a list. You can only check the like list on a specific post you can already open.
What happened to the Following tab?
Instagram removed it in 2019. It used to show recent likes and comments from accounts you follow.
Do apps that show someone’s likes work?
No. Instagram does not expose another account’s like history, so such apps cannot show it honestly. Many ask for your password, which is a risk.
Can Peekd show someone’s likes?
No. Peekd does not show likes, DMs or profile visitors. It tracks follows and unfollows on public accounts.
How can I tell if someone liked a certain post?
Open the post, tap the like count and search the list for their username. This does not work if the post hides its like count.
