Let’s face it, we all love some serial stalking on Instagram! After all, what’s the fun in innocently scrolling through the app and not satiating your curiosity with some quick profile checks? However, a good stalking session can turn into a nightmare when you leave traces by accidentally liking someone’s posts. Yes, many of us have been there, and done that. While we instantly unlike the post and pretend like nothing happened, there’s a good chance this ‘lowkey cringe-worthy’ activity has caught the person’s attention. Let’s discuss what happens when you’ve accidentally liked and then unliked an Instagram post!
Navigating social media is very tricky, and even the slightest of actions can leave a lasting mark as there’s no easy way of undoing your deeds. The good news is that Instagram does cover your tracks if you accidentally like a post. But there’s a catch! If the receiver has their push notifications on, your secret stalking sessions might not be so secretive anymore. Here’s what entails after liking and unliking an Instagram post.
If you’ve accidentally liked an Instagram post, will it show?
If the receiver is actively using Instagram
When you like an Instagram post, the app immediately sends an alert that appears in the user’s activity tab. So, if the person is actively using Instagram or worse, checking their activity at that time – they will get the oh-so dreaded notification saying ‘@abc liked your photo’!
However, if they aren’t active on the app at that particular moment, and you immediately unlike the post, there’s not much to worry about. The user will get a split-second alert, which will then be removed from the app right after you unlike the post. But this scenario only works when their push notifications are off!
So, what happens when a person isn’t actively using Instagram when you accidentally like their post, but has enabled push notifications?
What happens when the receiver has push notifications on?
Now this is a tricky situation to be in. When push notifications are on, the other person is immediately notified on their screen about any activity happening on Instagram. Even if you withdraw the link seconds later, the notification will remain on the screen. However, when tapped, it will take the user to the post without your like on it. But that doesn’t matter since you’ve already been caught. While Instagram removes the notification from the user’s activity feed, the push notification stays!
So, when are you actually safe?
The only scenario when the person won’t be notified about your accidental like is when they’re not actively using Instagram AND their push notifications are off! Otherwise, you’ll just have to count on your luck and hope they didn’t notice your name among the pool of notifications.
Moreover, celebrities, creators and businesses with large follower bases don’t usually enable push notifications on Instagram. Imagine getting tons of likes and spammy notifications on your phone every second! So, if you’ve chanced upon such a user, they might not have noticed it at all.
If you’re really embarrassed about the situation and want to remove any possible trace, you’ll have to take some drastic measures. The first one is to block this person right away. If you can’t do that, try disabling your account temporarily and resume activity after a while.
We hope you steer clear of any Instagram faux pas on your next stalking escapade!
(Hero image credit: Pexels)
(Feature image credit: juneaye/ Pixabay)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: If someone likes your Instagram post, you will receive an alert on the app. If you also have your push notifications on, the same will be displayed on your device.
Answer: If you double-tap on an already-liked post, nothing happens, and the person won't be notified. However, they will get a notification if you unlike and then again like their post.
Answer: There's no feature on Instagram that lets you remove specific likes.
Answer: If you've accidentally liked someone's Instagram post and then blocked them, the person will not receive a notification about your actions.
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