Delete a comment you wrote

You can remove any comment you posted on Instagram — whether it's on your own post, someone else's post, or a Reel. Open Instagram and find the post that contains your comment. Tap and hold directly on your comment text until a menu appears with options.

Select Delete from the menu. Your comment disappears immediately and the person who posted won't see a notification that you deleted it. The post itself stays up; only your words are removed. If you commented multiple times on the same post, you'll need to delete each comment separately using the same tap-and-hold method.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap and hold your own comment to see a menu where you can delete it instantly.
  • You can delete comments on your own posts, other people's posts, and Reels using the same method.
  • Removing a comment from your own post doesn't notify the person who wrote it, but they may notice it's gone if they look back.
  • Instagram doesn't let you edit comments after posting — you have to delete and rewrite them if you made a typo or want to change what you said.
  • Deleted comments cannot be recovered, so make sure you actually want to remove it before you confirm.

Remove comments from your own posts

When someone comments on a photo or video you posted, you have the power to delete their comment from your post. This is useful if a comment is spam, rude, or just doesn't fit the conversation you want to have. Go to the post and look for the comment you want to remove. Tap and hold on that comment until the menu appears.

You'll see options including Delete. Tap it and the comment vanishes from your post. The person who wrote it won't get a notification saying you deleted their comment, but they can see it's gone if they return to your post. You can delete as many comments as you want from your own posts — there's no limit.

Hide comments without deleting them

Instagram also lets you hide comments instead of deleting them completely. This is useful if you want to keep the comment but don't want other people to see it on your post. Tap and hold the comment and select Hide from the menu.

When you hide a comment, only you and the person who wrote it can see it. Everyone else viewing your post won't see that comment at all. The person who wrote it can still see their own comment and won't know it's hidden from others. You can unhide a comment later by tapping and holding it again and selecting Unhide.

Disable comments on a specific post

If you want to stop people from commenting on a post altogether, you can turn off comments for that post only. Go to the post, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select Turn off commenting. Any existing comments stay visible, but no one can add new ones.

This is different from deleting comments — the old ones remain on the post. If you change your mind later, tap the three dots again and select Turn on commenting to allow new comments again. This setting applies only to that single post, not to all your posts.

Report comments that break Instagram's rules

If a comment contains hate speech, threats, spam, or other content that violates Instagram's community guidelines, you can report it instead of just deleting it. Tap and hold the comment and select Report. Instagram will ask you why you're reporting it — choose the reason that fits best.

Reporting sends the comment to Instagram's review team, who can take action against the account if the content truly breaks the rules. This is more effective than deleting for serious violations because it creates a record and may result in consequences for the person who posted it. You can report comments on your own posts or on other people's posts.

Manage comments from specific accounts

If one account keeps leaving comments you don't want to see, you can restrict that person. Go to their profile, tap the three dots, and select Restrict. Their comments will still appear on your posts, but only they can see them — other people won't see restricted comments unless they click to view hidden comments.

The restricted account won't know you've restricted them. They can still message you, but you won't get notifications for their messages. If you want to completely block someone instead, select Block from the same menu. A blocked account can't see your profile, posts, or stories at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a comment after I post it?

No, Instagram doesn't have an edit feature for comments. If you made a typo or want to change what you said, you have to delete the comment and post a new one. Tap and hold your comment, select Delete, then write and post your new comment.

Will the person know if I delete their comment from my post?

They won't get a notification, but they can see it's gone if they look back at your post. If they're actively watching the comments, they may notice right away. There's no way to delete a comment without the person potentially noticing it's missing.

What's the difference between hiding and deleting a comment?

Deleting removes the comment completely from your post for everyone except the person who wrote it (they can still see it on their profile). Hiding keeps the comment on your post but makes it invisible to everyone except you and the person who wrote it. Hidden comments can be unhidden later.

Can I delete comments on other people's posts?

No, you can only delete comments you wrote yourself. On someone else's post, you can only delete your own comments. The post owner can delete your comments from their post, but you cannot.

What happens if I report a comment?

Instagram's team reviews reported comments to see if they break community guidelines. If they do, Instagram may remove the comment, warn the account, or take stronger action depending on the violation. You won't be told what action was taken, but the report is sent to Instagram for review.