After users spotted a new downvote or dislike button for comments on Instagram, the company confirmed it is exploring a feature that allows users to express their discontent or find a comment irrelevant. This functionality will be available for both Feed posts and Reels.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, shared on Threads that the platform will not display a dislike count, meaning that no one will be aware if a comment has been disliked. He mentioned that in the future, these dislikes might influence the ranking of comments. “Some of you may have noticed we’re testing a new button next to comments on Instagram, which provides a private way for users to indicate they are not fond of a comment. I want to emphasize that this is just a test, and there will be no visible dislike count, nor will anyone know if you use the button. Eventually, we might incorporate this feedback into how comments are ranked, potentially lowering the visibility of disliked comments. Our aim is to foster a more positive commenting environment on Instagram,” Mosseri explained.
Last month, app analyst Alessandro Paluzzi revealed that Instagram was testing this feature, and the company has now confirmed it. Meta stated that this initiative is part of their efforts to enhance the quality of interactions in the comments section. “We’re exploring ways to give users greater control over their Instagram experience and the content they encounter in the app,” a spokesperson from the company said. “We’re testing a new button next to each comment on Reels or Feed posts, allowing users to privately indicate dissatisfaction or irrelevance. This trial is being conducted with a small group of users to start with. In the future, we may also experiment with moving these comments lower in the section to improve user experience,” they added. Reddit has utilized a downvote feature for years, allowing it to organize comments based on user feedback. While Meta is adopting a similar approach, it remains unclear whether they will assign the same level of importance to these votes as Reddit does.
