Instagram tests new floating 'liked by' indicators on posts and 'Clear mode' for Reels

Instagram appears to be testing some new user interface changes aimed at enhancing the viewing experience on the platform. One of these features is already showing up for a number of users, while the other was activated manually.

One new test involves floating ‘liked by’ bubbles that display at the bottom of posts, showing which accounts, that you follow, have liked that particular piece of content. Many users who’ve spotted the new floating bubbles have taken to X and Reddit asking for ways to disable the experiment.

Users can long-press these bubbles and swipe them down to temporarily remove them from view on that specific post. However, there is currently no way to disable this ‘liked by’ indicator universally across the app via settings.

I spotted the new bubbles on my Android smartphone (Pixel 8) with Instagram version 330.0.0.0.73. However, it hasn’t appeared on the latest version of Instagram for iOS on my iPhone. So it’s clear that the feature is being tested through server-side tweaks, rather than an app update.

Interestingly, in my testing, these floating ‘liked by’ bubbles seem to only be appearing on Reels for now, both in the main feed and when viewing profiles. They do not display on regular photos or video posts at this stage of testing. Here’s a short clip (loads from Imgur) of the new feature for reference:

If you tap on a profile icon, you’ll be able to send the person a DM without leaving the post.

Another new experimental feature Instagram is working on is called ‘Clear Mode’ for Reels. This mode aims to provide a cleaner, distraction-free viewing experience by hiding the description text and user interface buttons that normally appear overlaid on Reels videos. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, this is a feature that’s not yet rolling out publicly. Instead, it was spotted by popular tipster Alessandro Paluzzi who shared a screenshot of the new mode on X.

To activate Clear Mode, users would long-press on a Reel, which makes the description and UI elements fade out, allowing the video content to be viewed without any obstructions. This functionality already exists on TikTok and was requested by some Instagram users previously.

While convenient for focused viewing, Clear Mode may raise concerns around creator credit and engagement if widely deployed. Instagram would likely need to balance minimizing UI clutter with still ensuring creators get recognized.

These are still tests at this stage, but suggest Instagram is exploring ways to optimize and customize the viewing experience, particularly around the popular Reels format. More updates are expected if these features see broader rollouts.