Instagram is testing a new feature that causes likes to appear as numbers, even if - wait for it - a photo has fewer than 11 likes.* *We don't think it's too soon to use words like 'phwoar' and 'gamechanger'.
Previously, photos with fewer than 11 likes showed the usernames of each likee. If this feature goes ahead, no one will even be able to see who's liked your photo, meaning that if your only validation's come from four samsung bots, your followers will be none the wiser.
It's not clear how long Instagram has been testing the feature but many users began seeing the new likes over the last couple of days. An Instagram spokesperson confirmed the test to Mashable, but didn't say if, or when, the feature would show up for everyone else. One person in our office already has the feature, and it looks like anything more then three likes on an Insta post will now revert to numbers.
But why is this so important? Let us explain. The 11th like is currently held up as a gold standard for likes, acting as a milestone of popularity but also changing the aesthetic of your profile from one littered with usernames to one captioned by a neat number. The significance of the 11th like has long been shouted about on social media:
And to all those who've been known to (whisper it) self-like to tip you over the 10 like mark, it looks like you can now start to boost numbers from the get-go...
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.