Soon, users worldwide may get to dislike comments on Instagram as the Meta-owned company confirmed that they are testing the same.
The "dislike" button for comments will allow users to privately signal when they find a comment unhelpful or irrelevant. The feature, currently in testing, will be available on both Feed posts and Reels.
Confirming the development on Threads, Instagram head Adam Mosseri clarified that the dislike count will not be visible and users won’t know if their comment has been disliked. However, over time, dislikes may influence comment ranking, pushing disliked comments lower in the thread.
"Some of you may have seen that we’re testing a new button next to comments on Instagram. This gives people a private way to signal that they don’t feel good about a particular comment. There is no dislike count, nor will anyone know if you tap the button. Eventually, we may integrate this signal into comment ranking to move disliked comments lower. Our hope is that this might help make comments more friendly on Instagram," Mosseri explained.
A Meta spokesperson emphasised that the test aims to give users more control over their Instagram experience. "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 irrelevant. We’re testing this with a very small group of people to start. Later, we may also test moving these comments lower in the comments section to create a better experience," the spokesperson said.
Recently, Meta expanded Instagram Teen Accounts to India with built-in protections to ensure a safer experience for teens. The app allows parents to monitor recent contacts, set screen time limits, and restrict app use during certain hours for teens under 16, the tech giant said in a press release.
Instagram’s move echoes Reddit’s long-standing downvote system, which helps surface the most relevant discussions. However, it remains unclear if Instagram’s approach will carry the same weight in determining comment visibility as Reddit’s algorithm does.
The feature is currently in limited testing, and Meta has not yet announced when it might roll out more widely.