Instagram testing dislike button for comments, reports show

Screenshots circulating on social media suggest Instagram is expanding a dislike button feature for comments beyond its original small test group. Users reported seeing a downward arrow next to comments, which showed that the feature which started testing in February 2025 was starting to become available to more users.

Meta has not published any information about the test programme which Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed to exist on Threads when he made his announcement three months ago.

From April and May, user reports show that Feed posts and Reels now display a downward arrow next to comments. The design matches descriptions from earlier leaks: a private dislike signal with no public count, no creator notification, and purely backend algorithmic use.

The reports do not show that Instagram has conducted official test expansions because they indicate that the feature is slowly becoming available to additional users. The absence of an official announcement means Meta may be testing quietly to avoid criticism or gather data before a wider rollout.

Based on user descriptions, dislikes would function as invisible backend signals. Comments receiving enough downvotes would theoretically rank lower, reducing visibility without deletion or notification to the original commenter.

This mirrors Reddit's downvote system but with added privacy, no public shaming or pile-on dynamics. However, this remains unconfirmed functionality based on what users report seeing, not official specifications from Meta.