The simplest way to copy an Instagram comment

On both iPhone and Android, press and hold any comment until a menu appears. Tap Copy. The comment text is now in your clipboard and you can paste it anywhere — into a note, a message, an email, or another app. This works on comments you wrote, comments others wrote on your posts, and comments on posts you are viewing.

If you are on a computer, right-click the comment and select Copy from the menu that appears. The text goes to your clipboard the same way.

This method copies only the text of the comment itself — not the username, timestamp, or any links embedded in it, though links will paste as clickable text.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold a comment on your phone, then tap Copy; on a computer, right-click and select Copy.
  • Copying a comment takes only the text, not the username or timestamp, and does not notify the person who wrote it.
  • Instagram does not log or track when you copy comments, but the app does record that you viewed the post.
  • If a comment is deleted by the author or removed by Instagram, you cannot copy it even if you saw it before.

What happens when you copy someone else's comment

The person who wrote the comment does not get a notification that you copied it. Instagram does not send alerts for copying, liking, or viewing — only for direct messages, follows, and tags. You can copy a comment without the author knowing.

However, Instagram's servers do record that you viewed the post. The app tracks which posts you open, how long you spend on them, and which ones you interact with. That data is used to decide what to show you next and to build a profile of your interests for advertisers. Copying a comment is not separately logged, but your presence on that post is.

Copying comments that contain links or mentions

When you copy a comment that includes a link or a username mention (like @someone), the text pastes exactly as written. If the comment says "Check out @username's profile," that entire phrase comes through. If it contains a URL, the link pastes as plain text, not as a clickable link — you would need to manually click it or copy it again into a browser.

If you want to preserve the link itself for later use, copying the comment is usually faster than taking a screenshot. You can paste it into a notes app, search for the username directly, or open the link by selecting it and pasting it into your browser's address bar.

Why you might not be able to copy a comment

If a comment has been deleted by the person who wrote it, you cannot copy it even if you saw it before. Once deleted, it disappears from the post entirely. The same is true if Instagram removed the comment for violating its Community Guidelines — the comment is gone and cannot be accessed or copied.

Very rarely, a technical glitch can prevent the copy menu from appearing. If pressing and holding does not work, try closing and reopening the Instagram app, or try copying a different comment to see if the function works at all. If it does not work on any comment, restart your phone.

On older versions of Instagram, the copy function may not be available. Updating the app from your device's app store usually fixes this. Instagram regularly adds and changes features, so an outdated version may lack functions that newer versions have.

The difference between copying and screenshotting

Copying a comment is invisible to the author. Screenshotting a post on Instagram does send a notification to the person who posted it — but only if the post is a disappearing story or a disappearing direct message. Regular posts and comments do not trigger a screenshot notification, so the author would not know either way.

Copying is also cleaner than screenshotting because you get only the text without the visual clutter of usernames, timestamps, profile pictures, and the rest of the interface. If you need to share the comment with someone else or save it for reference, copying and pasting is usually faster and more readable than sending a screenshot.

Saving comments for later without copying them

Instagram does not have a built-in "save comment" feature the way it has a save feature for posts. Your options are to copy the text, take a screenshot, or use your phone's notes app to manually type out the comment if it is short.

If you want to remember which post a comment appeared on, you can save the entire post instead. Press and hold the post, tap Save, and it goes into your Saved folder. You can then find it later by tapping your profile, then the bookmark icon. The comment will still be there if the author has not deleted it.

What Instagram knows about your comment activity

Instagram tracks which comments you write, like, and reply to. It does not track copying, but it does track that you viewed the post and spent time reading comments on it. This information feeds into Instagram's algorithm, which uses your behavior to decide what content to show you and what ads to display.

If you frequently view and interact with comments on posts about a certain topic, Instagram will show you more posts on that topic. If you like comments from specific accounts, the algorithm may prioritize posts from those accounts in your feed. The copying itself is invisible, but your presence on the post is not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the person who wrote the comment know I copied it?

No. Instagram does not send notifications for copying. The author only knows if you like, reply to, or mention them in a comment of your own.

Can I copy a comment from a private account?

Only if you follow the account or if the account owner has approved your follow request. If the account is private and you do not follow them, you cannot see their comments on other posts, so you cannot copy them.

What if I copy a comment and then the author deletes it?

The text stays in your clipboard and you can still paste it anywhere. Deleting the original comment does not erase what you already copied. However, if you close the app or copy something else, the old comment text is replaced in your clipboard.

Can I copy comments from Instagram Stories?

No. Story comments work differently — you can reply to them, but you cannot copy the text directly. You would need to screenshot or manually type out the comment if you want to save it.

Does copying a comment count as engagement for the algorithm?

Copying itself does not count, but viewing the post does. Instagram tracks that you opened the post and spent time there, which influences what you see next. Liking or replying to the comment would count as stronger engagement than just viewing.