Instagram is experimenting with a dislike button for comments, allowing users to downvote replies they don’t like. The feature, spotted by a trusted leaker, resembles Reddit’s downvote button, appearing as a downward arrow icon next to comments.
However, this might not be a public dislike button. Reports suggest that only content creators may have access, allowing them to hide harsh or unhelpful comments rather than displaying a visible downvote count.
Why is Instagram testing this? Social media platforms constantly tweak features to improve engagement and filter out toxic interactions. Instagram already lets users restrict, hide, or delete comments, but a dislike button could make it even easier to push negative remarks out of sight.
This isn’t the first time Instagram has tested similar tools. In 2022, the platform trialled private downvotes on replies to help improve comment rankings. YouTube also has a dislike button, but it doesn’t display the number of dislikes to the public, only to creators.
How will it work? If the feature rolls out, creators may be able to downvote comments, sending them lower in the thread or hiding them completely. Instagram hasn’t confirmed if the dislike button for comments will be permanent or if it will extend beyond creators to general users.
What’s next? Instagram is yet to make an official announcement. For now, the dislike button for comments remains in the testing phase, with no word on when – or if – it will roll out widely.
