Social media site Instagram is running a test on Irish users, that will see the number of 'likes' removed from photos.

The number of video views will also be hidden on profiles.

The Facebook-owned company says the test is so users focus on photos and videos shared, not how many likes they get.

"We don't want Instagram to feel like a competition - we hope to learn whether this change can help people focus less on likes and more on telling their story", it adds.

People can still see their own likes by tapping on the liker list, but others will not be able to see how many likes a post has received.

An example of what the redesigned feed will look like | Image: Instagram

Likewise, an Instagram user will not be able to see how many likes others' posts have received.

This an extension of a test that started in Canada in May.

Tara Hopkins is head of EMEA public policy at Instagram.

She says: "We want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves.

"This includes helping people to focus on the photos and videos they share, not how many likes they get.

"We are now rolling the test out to more countries so we learn more from our global community and see how this can benefit people's experiences on Instagram."