Anyone who’s ever accidentally “liked” an Instagram photo from years ago while taking a deep dive on someone’s profile knows the instant panic that follows. Now, Instagram’s top executive has explained exactly what happens behind the scenes.
Whether users are checking up on an ex, reminiscing about an old friend, or simply scrolling through someone’s feed out of curiosity, accidentally tapping the “like” button on an old post has long been one of social media’s most dreaded incidents. Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently addressed the viral concern in a video, revealing why the app can’t completely erase the evidence, even if you unlike the post immediately. Read more about what he had to say and how users reacted below.
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Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri Explains What Happens If You Accidentally Like An Old Photo
The fear of accidentally liking an old Instagram post while “stalking” someone’s profile has become one of the internet’s most relatable fears, with countless memes and jokes centered around the situation. While many users assume they’re safe if they quickly remove the like, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, in a new video shared last week, says that’s only partially true.
On July 28th, the head of the app posted a reel about the scenario, answering one of the app‘s most frequently asked questions by breaking down how notifications work.
“Have you ever been swiping through someone’s content from a long time ago, and then by accident you liked that photo or reel, and then you quickly unliked it because you didn’t mean to do it?” he asked users before explaining that Instagram sends two separate notifications whenever someone likes a post: one inside the app and another as a push notification to the recipient’s phone.
“When you unlike that photo, we can delete that Instagram notification, but we cannot delete that phone notification,” he explained. “It’ll still say on their lock screen…’Adam liked that photo.’ But if they tap on it, there’s no record of it anywhere in the app, so it might be a little confusing.”
Adam added that in terms of deleting the push notifications sent to someone’s phone, he said they “can’t” and further advised users to “be careful not to like anything by mistake,” as you never know when someone has their push notifications on or off.
Users React To Adam’s Video On Instagram
Because the incident of accidentally liking someone’s old photo has been notorious for years, many Instagram users were glad that the app’s CEO, who has been in charge since 2018, acknowledged it on his profile. However, many were disappointed to learn there’s no foolproof way to erase the mistake if push notifications have already been delivered.
Commenters started interacting with the post with funny reactions, with many saying the explanation validated years of anxiety over “Instagram stalking.” Others joked that the only real solution is to be extra careful while scrolling, while some admitted they don’t trust that unliking a post truly erased all traces of the moment.
“My heart rate went up just hearing this scenario,” joked a user.
“You know, I always wondered this!” added another.
“The ultimate social media panic moment,” described a user. “You unliked it immediately and then spent the next 10 minutes wondering if they still got the notification.”
“So basically, we’re cooked,” wrote another.
