You can disable comments on individual posts or turn them off for your entire profile
Facebook gives you two ways to stop people from commenting. You can turn comments off for a single post after you publish it, or you can change your default settings so new posts don't allow comments unless you change them. The steps are different depending on whether you use Facebook on a computer or phone, and whether you want to block comments on posts you've already shared or prevent them on posts you haven't made yet.
Disabling comments is useful if you post something that draws unwanted responses, if you want to control the conversation around a particular topic, or if you straightforward prefer not to moderate a discussion. Unlike deleting comments one by one, turning off comments stops new ones from appearing at all.
Key Takeaways
- You can disable comments on a post you've already published by clicking the three dots on that post and selecting "Turn off commenting."
- On mobile, tap the three dots in the top right corner of your post, then tap "Turn off commenting" from the menu.
- You cannot change the comment setting for old posts in bulk — you must do each one individually.
- Disabling comments does not delete existing comments; it only stops new ones from being added.
- Your friends and followers will see that comments are turned off, but they cannot add new ones regardless of their privacy settings with you.
How to disable comments on a post you've already shared
Open the post you want to change. Look for the three dots (called the menu icon) in the top right corner of the post. On a computer, click those dots. On a phone, tap them. A menu will appear with several options.
Look for the option that says "Turn off commenting" or "Disable commenting" depending on your Facebook version. Click or tap it. The post will now show that comments are turned off. Any comments that were already there will stay visible, but no one can add new ones.
If you change your mind later, you can turn comments back on the same way. Open the post, click the three dots, and select "Turn on commenting." The ability to comment will return when ready.
How to prevent comments on new posts before you publish
Before you hit "Post," look at the bottom of the compose box where it shows who can see your post. You'll see icons for different privacy levels — usually "Friends," "Public," or "Only Me." Next to those, there's often a comment icon that looks like a speech bubble.
Click or tap that comment icon. A menu will appear letting you choose who can comment: everyone, friends only, or no one. Select "No one" or "Off" depending on your version. Then publish your post as normal. When it goes live, comments will be disabled from the start.
This method is faster than disabling comments after publishing, but it only works for posts you haven't shared yet. Once a post is live, you have to use the three-dot menu to change its comment settings.
What happens to existing comments when you disable new ones
Turning off comments does not delete or hide the comments that are already there. Anyone who visits your post will still see all the previous comments and replies. You're only stopping new comments from being added going forward.
If you want to remove comments that are already visible, you have to delete them one at a time. Hover over or tap a comment, and a delete option will appear. This is separate from disabling comments — you can have comments turned on and still delete individual ones you don't want to see.
Disabling comments on posts from other people
You cannot disable comments on posts that someone else wrote, even if it's a family member or close friend. Only the person who created the post can turn comments off. If you see a post you don't want to engage with, you can hide it, report it, or unfollow the person — but you cannot change their comment settings.
If a post is harassing you or contains content that violates Facebook's rules, you can report it to Facebook directly. Facebook may remove the post or the comments, but that's different from you disabling comments yourself.
Bulk changes and profile-wide settings
Facebook does not offer a way to disable comments on all your old posts at once. If you have hundreds of posts and want to turn comments off on all of them, you have to do each one individually using the three-dot menu. There is no bulk edit feature for this.
You also cannot set a permanent default that disables comments on every post you make going forward. You have to choose the comment setting each time you publish something new. Some people handle this by always selecting "No comments" when they compose a post, but Facebook doesn't remember that choice for the next post.
Why someone might see comments even after you disable them
If you disable comments on a post but someone tells you they can still see comments, they may be looking at an old version of the page. Refreshing their browser or closing and reopening the Facebook app usually fixes this. The comment setting change takes effect when ready on Facebook's servers, but it can take a few seconds to show up on someone's screen.
Another possibility is that they're looking at a different post or a shared version of your post. If someone shared your post to their own timeline, the comments on their version are separate from the comments on yours. Disabling comments on your original post doesn't affect the copy they shared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable comments for just one person while letting others comment?
No. When you disable comments, no one can comment — there's no option to block comments from a specific person while allowing them from others. If you want to prevent one person from commenting, you can block them entirely, which stops them from seeing your posts and interacting with you in other ways too.
Will people know that I turned off comments?
Yes. When comments are disabled, the post will show a message saying "Comments are turned off" or similar language. Anyone viewing the post will see this and know that you chose to disable them. They won't see a comment box, and they won't be able to add comments.
If I disable comments, can people still react with emoji?
Yes. Disabling comments only stops text responses. People can still use the reaction buttons (like, love, haha, wow, sad, angry) on your post. If you want to turn off reactions too, that's a separate setting you can change in the same three-dot menu.
What's the difference between disabling comments and deleting them?
Deleting comments removes specific ones that are already there. Disabling comments stops anyone from adding new ones. You can delete individual comments while leaving comments turned on, or you can turn comments off without deleting the ones that exist. They're two separate actions.
Can I disable comments on a photo or video differently than a text post?
No. The process is the same for photos, videos, and text posts. Find the three dots on the post, tap "Turn off commenting," and you're done. The comment setting works the same way regardless of what type of content you posted.