Should you like their Instagram posts while you're talking

A like is just a visible thumbs up. It says you saw the thing they posted. That's almost all it says. In the talking stage, before anything is defined, a like means you're engaged enough to scroll and tap. It doesn't mean you're thinking about them constantly. It doesn't mean you're committed. It doesn't even mean you liked the photo that much. You could have liked it because you thought it was funny or because the dog in it was cute.

The person on the receiving end knows this too. They might not even notice. Or they might like it back without thinking. Liking is so normal and so low-friction that it barely registers as a move. The only time it stands out is when there's a pattern, like you never like anything, or you like every single thing they post while they never like yours.

Here's the move: if you're texting them regularly and the conversation has momentum, liking their posts is fine. Just tap it when you see it. Don't overthink it. If the text conversation is stalled or one-sided, liking their Instagram won't fix it and won't hurt it either. It just doesn't matter. The talking stage lives or dies in the DMs or text thread, not on their feed.

If you do like a post, don't use it as a replacement for actually reaching out. Liking is passive. Texting is active. A like should sit alongside real messages, not instead of them. If you find yourself liking their posts but not texting, you're avoiding the harder work of actual connection.

Liking every single post they make, especially if the text conversation is light or nonexistent, starts to look like you're watching more than engaging. That's the trap. One like on a photo feels natural. Liking their story, their feed post, and their comment on someone else's photo in the span of an hour reads differently. It reads like you're on their profile more than you're texting them.

If they never like anything you post back, don't spiral over it. People have different Instagram habits. Some people never like anything. Some people don't go on Instagram much. Some people like things privately. The absence of a reciprocal like doesn't mean they're not interested. Judge the talking stage by whether they text you back, not by their Instagram behavior.