You can disable comments on individual posts or turn them off for all new posts you create
Facebook lets you control who can comment on your posts in two ways: you can turn off comments on a single post after you've published it, or you can set your account to disable comments by default on everything you post going forward. The first method takes about 10 seconds per post. The second method takes one trip to your settings and then applies automatically to new posts — though you can still allow comments on specific posts if you want to.
Disabling comments is useful if you're posting something you don't want to moderate, if you're tired of managing arguments in your feed, or if you want to share information without inviting debate. It doesn't hide your post — people can still see it, share it, and react to it with emoji. It just stops them from writing text replies.
Key Takeaways
- You can turn off comments on a post you've already published by clicking the three dots on that post and selecting "Turn off commenting".
- To disable comments on all future posts by default, go to Settings > Privacy > Who can comment on your posts and choose "Friends only" or "Off".
- Turning off comments does not delete existing comments — if you turn commenting back on later, old comments reappear.
- People can still react with emoji and share your post even when comments are disabled.
- You can change your mind about any individual post at any time by turning comments back on.
How to disable comments on a post you've already published
Open the post on your Facebook feed or timeline. Look for the three dots (called a menu icon) in the top right corner of the post. Tap or click those three dots.
A menu will appear with several options. Look for "Turn off commenting" and tap or click it. Facebook will confirm that commenting is now off. The post stays visible on your timeline and in your feed — it just won't accept new comments. If someone tries to comment, they'll see a message saying comments are turned off.
You can turn comments back on the same way: three dots, then "Turn on commenting". This brings back the ability to comment, and any comments that were there before you turned commenting off will reappear.
How to set comments to "off" for all new posts
On a phone or tablet, open Facebook and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap "Settings & privacy", then tap "Settings".
Tap "Privacy". Look for the section called "Who can comment on your posts" — it may be labeled differently depending on your phone's operating system, but the words "comment" and "posts" will be in the label. Tap that option.
You'll see three choices: "Public" (anyone can comment), "Friends" (only your friends can comment), or "Off" (no one can comment). Tap "Off" to disable comments on all new posts you create from this point forward. Your old posts are not affected — only new ones.
On a computer, go to facebook.com, click the downward arrow in the top right corner, and click "Settings & privacy" then "Settings". Click "Privacy" in the left menu. Find "Who can comment on your posts" and click the dropdown next to it. Select "Off".
What happens to comments when you turn commenting off
If your post already has comments when you turn commenting off, those comments stay visible. People can still see what others wrote — you're just stopping new comments from being added. The old comments don't disappear.
If you turn commenting back on later, everything returns to normal. New comments can be added again, and the old ones are still there. There's no permanent deletion happening — you're just opening and closing the door to new replies.
The difference between turning off comments and deleting a post
Turning off comments keeps your post visible but stops people from replying. Deleting a post removes it entirely from your timeline and from other people's feeds. If you delete a post, no one can see it anymore, and all the comments on it disappear too.
If you just want to stop the conversation but keep the post itself, turn off comments. If you want the post gone completely, delete it. You can also hide a post from your timeline without deleting it — the post stays on Facebook's servers, but it doesn't show on your profile anymore. That's a middle ground between the two.
Why you might want to disable comments
Some people turn off comments because they're sharing news or information and don't want to moderate arguments. Others do it because they're posting something personal and don't want unsolicited information or debate. Some turn it off temporarily when they know a post will attract spam or harassment.
Disabling comments is also useful if you're posting on behalf of a business or organization and want to control the conversation. You can share updates without having to monitor and delete inappropriate replies.
It's worth noting that turning off comments doesn't stop people from talking about your post elsewhere — they can still share it to their own timeline or in a group and comment there. But it does stop the conversation from happening directly on your post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off comments on old posts?
Yes. Go to any post on your timeline, click the three dots, and select "Turn off commenting". This works on posts from any time in the past. You can do this one post at a time, or you can change your default setting for future posts in your privacy settings.
If I set comments to "off" for all new posts, can I still allow comments on specific ones?
Yes. Even if you've set your default to "Off", you can turn comments on for individual posts. Click the three dots on a post and select "Turn on commenting". This overrides your default setting for just that one post.
Will people know that I turned off comments?
Yes, they'll see that the comment box is gone and a message will appear saying comments are turned off. It's not hidden — it's visible to anyone looking at the post.
Does turning off comments affect reactions and shares?
No. People can still react to your post with emoji (like, love, haha, wow, sad, angry) and they can still share your post to their own timeline or in groups. Turning off comments only stops text replies.
What if I turn off comments and then change my mind?
You can turn comments back on at any time using the same three-dot menu. Any comments that existed before you turned commenting off will reappear when ready.