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Instagram Swaps Likes for Views on Videos

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Brace yourself, Instagram community: A big change is coming for videos.

The Facebook-owned app on Thursday announced plans to add view counts to videos over the next few weeks, showing how many people have watched the clip, in place of how many likes it has received.

"Views are the most widely expected form of feedback on video," Instagram wrote in a blog post. "That's why you'll begin to see view counts underneath videos where before you'd normally see likes."

Instagram video views

Rest assured that you'll still be able to see how many likes a video has received if you're interested, but now you'll need to tap "views" to see this info.

Instagram said this is "the first of many ways" it plans to improve video on the app this year.

Back in 2014, Instagram rival Vine added "Loop" counts, which let people see how many times a particular six-second clip had been played.

"Since launching video two years ago and introducing Hyperlapse and Boomerang, you've made video storytelling on Instagram take off," Instagram wrote. "Whether sitting front row at Fashion Week or spending a day on the beach, nothing brings moments to life like video."

Meanwhile, this has been a busy week for Instagram. The photo-and video-sharing app earlier this week rolled out one of its most requested features: multiple account switching, which lets you easily switch between multiple accounts instead of having to sign in and out every time. Visit Instagram's profile settings to add up to five accounts to one app; find the option at the bottom of the screen, near "Clear Search History" and "Log Out." Once it's set up, tap the preferred user name at the top of the profile page to make the switch, without the hassle of logging in and out.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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