Delete a comment you posted yourself
You can remove any comment you wrote on YouTube by finding it in your channel activity or on the video itself, then selecting the delete option. YouTube keeps your comment visible to others until you remove it — the platform does not automatically hide old comments.
The fastest way is to go to your YouTube channel, click the "Comments" tab under your channel name, find the comment you want to remove, and click the three-dot menu next to it. Select "Delete" from the menu. The comment disappears when ready from the video and from your comment history.
If you are watching a video and see your own comment in the thread, you can delete it directly there. Hover over or tap your comment, click the three-dot menu icon, and choose "Delete". This works the same way whether you are on a computer, phone, or tablet.
Key Takeaways
- You can only delete comments you wrote yourself — YouTube does not let you remove other people's comments unless you own the channel where they appear.
- Deleted comments disappear from the video page and your channel history when ready, but YouTube may keep a record for a limited time for moderation purposes.
- The three-dot menu next to any comment you wrote contains the delete option on both desktop and mobile.
- If you want to hide comments on your own videos without deleting them, you can hold comments for review or turn off comments entirely for specific videos.
Delete comments on videos you own
If you run a YouTube channel, you can delete comments that other people posted on your videos. This is different from deleting your own comments — as a channel owner, you have the power to remove any comment from your videos, whether you wrote it or not.
Go to YouTube Studio, click "Comments" in the left menu, and you will see all comments posted to your videos. Find the comment you want to remove, click the three-dot menu next to it, and select "Delete". You can also click the comment to open it and delete it from there.
If you want to remove multiple comments at once, check the box next to each one, then click "Delete" at the top. This is useful if you are cleaning up spam or offensive comments in bulk.
Moderate comments before they appear
Comment holds let you review comments before viewers see them. This is not the same as deleting — you are choosing whether to publish each comment or reject it. Go to YouTube Studio, click "Settings" in the left menu, then "Community", and turn on "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review".
When this is on, comments that YouTube flags as potentially inappropriate wait in a queue for you to approve or reject. You can also set it to hold all comments from new users, which gives you a chance to check them before they go live. Approved comments appear when ready; rejected ones are deleted and the commenter is not notified.
You can also turn off comments entirely on specific videos or on your whole channel. In YouTube Studio, go to "Settings" and then "Community" to find the option to disable comments. This prevents new comments from being posted, but does not delete existing ones.
What happens when you delete a comment
When you delete a comment, it is removed from the video page and from your channel's comment history. Other viewers will not see it, and the commenter will not receive a notification that you deleted it.
YouTube may keep deleted comments in its internal systems for a limited time for moderation and safety purposes, but they are not visible to the public. If you delete a comment and then change your mind, there is no way to restore it — you would have to write it again.
If your comment had replies from other users, those replies are also deleted when you remove your original comment. This is why some people edit their comments instead of deleting them if they want to keep the conversation thread intact.
Edit instead of delete
YouTube lets you edit comments you have written, which is useful if you made a typo, want to add information, or need to change something without losing the replies underneath. Click the three-dot menu next to your comment and select "Edit".
You can change the text of your comment, but you cannot change who it is replying to or move it to a different part of the thread. After you edit, the comment will show an "edited" label so other viewers know it was changed. Editing keeps the comment in place and preserves any replies it received.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete someone else's comment on my video?
Yes. As the channel owner, you can delete any comment posted to your videos. Go to YouTube Studio, click "Comments", find the comment, click the three-dot menu, and select "Delete". You can also hold comments for review before they appear on your videos.
What if I delete a comment by accident?
Deleted comments cannot be restored. If you deleted your own comment, you will have to write it again. If you deleted someone else's comment from your video, there is no undo option — you would need to contact the person and ask them to repost it if you want it back.
Does the person who commented get notified when I delete their comment?
No. When you delete a comment from your video, the commenter does not receive a notification. They may notice their comment is gone if they look back at the video, but YouTube does not send them a message about it.
Can I delete comments on someone else's video?
No. You can only delete comments you wrote yourself on other people's videos. The channel owner can delete your comment, but you cannot delete comments from other users on videos you do not own.
If I delete my comment, does it affect my channel history?
Yes. Deleted comments are removed from your channel's comment history. If someone visits your channel and clicks the "Comments" tab, they will not see comments you have deleted. The deletion is permanent.