Open the story and tap the heart at the bottom right, next to the message box. The heart turns red (Alphr). Story likes are private: there’s no public count, and the like doesn’t arrive as a message (Social Media Today). Only the person who posted the story sees it, as a small heart next to your name in their list of viewers.
Like a story step by step
- Tap a profile photo in the row of stories at the top of your feed (Pocket-lint).
- While the story plays, tap the heart at the bottom right, between the Send message box and the paper plane icon (RouteNote).
- The heart turns red, which means you’ve liked the story.
Instagram added story likes on February 14, 2022. Before that, reacting meant sending a message or an emoji, and both landed in the other person’s DMs (Android Headlines).
Who sees that you liked a story
- Only the story’s owner. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said likes on stories “are private and do not have counts” (Social Media Today).
- Not in their DMs. A like doesn’t come through as a message. Instagram added likes partly to clean up DMs (Android Headlines).
- In their viewer list. The owner sees a heart next to your name, and likes are shown at the top of the list (Linktree).
Instagram doesn’t say whether the owner also gets a notification for each like, so count on them seeing it in the list.
Can you like a story without them knowing?
No. Watching a story already puts your name in the viewer list, and a like adds a heart next to it (Instagram Help). The one exception is paid. Instagram Plus, a subscription launched in June 2026, includes Story Preview, which “lets you peek at someone’s story without appearing in their viewer list” (Instagram, Engadget). Instagram hasn’t said whether you can like a story while previewing it.
See who liked your story
- While your story is live, tap your profile picture at the top left of the home screen (Linktree).
- Swipe up, or tap Activity at the bottom of the screen, to open the list of viewers.
- People who liked the story have a heart next to their name and appear first.
The list stays for 48 hours after you post (Instagram). On a professional account, story likes also show up in the story’s insights (Social Media Today). For view counts on stories, Reels and posts, see how to see views on your Instagram posts.
Likes, reactions, replies and comments
A like is the quietest way to respond to a story. The other ways:
- Quick reactions: tap the Send message box and pick one of six emoji (Hootsuite). A reaction is sent as a reply, so it goes to the person’s messages.
- Replies: type a message in the same box. It arrives as a DM.
- Comments: since September 2024 a story can take comments that other viewers can see. Only mutual followers can comment, comments last up to 24 hours like the story, and the owner can turn them off (MacRumors).
- Reshares: since December 2025 you can add any public story to your own, with credit to its creator, even if you weren’t tagged in it (Social Media Today). To see who reshared yours, read how to view story reshares.
Do story likes make a difference?
They change which stories you see first. Instagram orders the stories row partly by “how often you engage with that account’s stories, such as sending a like or a DM” (Instagram). In January 2025 Mosseri named the likelihood that you’ll like a story as one of the most important signals for ranking stories (Social Media Today). Liking stories from the accounts you care about helps keep them near the front of your row.
On your own stories, likes can only come from people who see them. If you want more people to see a story while it’s still up, our Instagram Story Views go to a public story while it’s active.
FAQ
Does someone know if I like their story?
Yes. They see a heart next to your name in their list of viewers.
Does liking a story send a message?
No. The like stays in the viewer list. Emoji reactions and replies are the ones that go to messages.
Can I unlike a story?
Tap the red heart again so it’s no longer red. If the owner checked their viewers before that, they may have seen the like already.
Can other people see that I liked a story?
No. Story likes have no public count, and only the owner sees who liked.
How long can I see who liked my story?
As long as the viewer list is there: 48 hours after you post.
Can I see which stories I liked?
Not once they expire. After a story disappears, there’s no way to check whether you liked it (Alphr). For Reels, see how to see the Reels you liked.