The fastest way to copy an Instagram comment
On Instagram's mobile app, press and hold any comment until a menu appears with options including Copy. Tap it, and the comment text goes into your device's clipboard — you can then paste it anywhere: into a note, a message, an email, or another app. On Instagram's web version, right-click the comment and select Copy text from your browser's menu. The process takes two seconds and works on any comment you can see, whether it's yours or someone else's.
If the comment is yours and you want to edit it instead of copy it, press and hold to find Edit in that same menu. If you want to save a comment to read later without copying it, Instagram also offers a Save option in the same menu — the comment appears in your Saved folder but stays on the original post.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any comment on the Instagram app to see a menu with Copy, Edit, Save, and other options.
- On Instagram's website, right-click a comment and choose Copy text from your browser's menu.
- Copied comment text goes to your device's clipboard and can be pasted into notes, messages, or other apps.
- You can only edit or delete comments that you wrote yourself; other people's comments can be copied or reported but not changed.
Copying comments on the Instagram mobile app
Open Instagram and find the post with the comment you want to copy. Scroll to the comment in the comments section, then press and hold your finger on that specific comment text. A menu will pop up with several options. Tap Copy and the text is now in your clipboard.
You can paste it when ready by opening Notes, Messages, or any text field, pressing and holding, and tapping Paste. The comment text appears exactly as it was written, including any emojis or line breaks. If you want to copy multiple comments from the same post, repeat this process for each one — each new copy replaces the previous one in your clipboard, so copy and paste one before moving to the next if you need to keep them all.
Copying comments on Instagram's website
Go to Instagram.com, find the post, and scroll to the comments section. Right-click directly on the comment text you want to copy. Your browser will show a context menu with options including Copy or Copy text (the exact wording depends on your browser). Click it, and the comment is copied to your clipboard.
You can then paste it into a document, email, or any other text field on your computer. This method works the same way as the mobile app but uses your browser's built-in copy function instead of Instagram's menu. If right-clicking does not work, your browser may have a different menu structure — try clicking the three-dot menu icon in your browser's toolbar and looking for a copy option there.
What happens when you copy someone else's comment
Copying a comment does not notify the person who wrote it. They will not see that you copied their text, and Instagram does not track or log who copies comments. The comment remains on the post unchanged, and the original author keeps full control over it — they can still edit or delete it at any time.
When you copy a comment, you are only taking the text itself. You are not copying any metadata like the timestamp, the number of likes, or replies to that comment. If you paste the comment somewhere else and want to include that context, you would need to type it in yourself or take a screenshot of the original post.
Copying comments with special characters and emojis
Instagram comments often include emojis, hashtags, mentions, and links. When you copy a comment, all of these elements copy along with the text exactly as they appear. An emoji stays an emoji, a hashtag stays clickable as a hashtag, and a mention (like @username) copies as text but may not be clickable in your paste destination depending on what app you are pasting into.
If a comment contains a link, copying the comment text copies the link as plain text, not as a clickable URL. If you paste it into an app that recognizes URLs, the link may become clickable automatically. If you paste it into a plain text field, it will remain as text only. Line breaks within a comment also copy, so multi-line comments paste with their original formatting intact.
Copying your own comments to edit or reuse them
If you wrote a comment and want to copy it to use elsewhere, the process is the same: press and hold (mobile) or right-click (web) and select Copy. You can then paste it into another post's comments, into a note, or anywhere else. This is useful if you write a longer comment and want to post a similar version on multiple posts without typing it again.
If you want to change your comment on the original post, do not copy it — instead, press and hold and tap Edit. This opens the comment in edit mode where you can change the text directly. After you finish editing, tap Done or press Enter, and the updated comment appears on the post. Edited comments show an "Edited" label below them so other people know the text was changed after it was first posted.
Why you might want to copy Instagram comments
People copy comments for different reasons. You might copy a helpful comment to save it in your notes, or copy a funny comment to share with a friend. You might copy your own comment to reuse it on another post, or copy someone's comment to reference it in a conversation. You might also copy a comment that violates Instagram's rules to report it, since the report form sometimes asks you to describe what the comment said.
Copying is also useful if you are researching what people are saying about a topic — you can copy multiple comments and paste them into a document to review them all in one place. None of these uses notify anyone or change anything on Instagram; copying is a read-only action that only affects your own device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the person who wrote the comment know I copied it?
No. Instagram does not notify users when someone copies their comment, and there is no way for the original author to see that you copied it. Copying is invisible to everyone except you.
Can I copy a comment that has been deleted?
No. Once a comment is deleted from Instagram, it no longer appears on the post and cannot be copied. If you want to save a comment you think might be deleted later, copy it while it is still visible.
What if I copy a comment and then the author edits it?
The text you copied stays exactly as it was when you copied it. If the author edits their comment on Instagram, your copied version does not change — you have a separate copy in your clipboard that remains unchanged.
Can I copy comments from a private account?
Only if you follow that account and can see the post. If the account is private and you do not follow them, you cannot see their posts or comments, so there is nothing to copy. If you do follow them, copying works the same way as with public accounts.
Does copying a comment count as engagement for the algorithm?
No. Copying a comment does not count as a like, a reply, or any other form of engagement. It does not affect the comment's visibility or the algorithm's ranking of that post. Only likes, replies, and shares count as engagement on Instagram.