You can disable comments on individual posts, entire accounts, or specific people
Instagram gives you three ways to stop comments from appearing on your content. You can turn off comments on a single post after you publish it, disable comments from everyone except close friends, or block specific people from commenting while leaving comments open for others. The method you choose depends on whether you want to protect one post, manage your whole account, or handle a particular person.
The most common reason to disable comments is to avoid harassment, spam, or unwanted conversation on sensitive posts. You might also disable comments temporarily during a difficult time, or permanently on posts that attract arguments. Instagram makes these changes directly in the app — you do not need to contact support or change your account settings.
Key Takeaways
- You can turn off comments on a post you have already published by opening the post, tapping the three dots, and selecting "Turn off commenting".
- To disable comments from everyone except close friends, go to your post settings and choose "Close Friends" instead of "Everyone".
- You can also restrict individual people from commenting without blocking them entirely, which hides their comments from your posts.
- Once you turn off comments on a post, you can turn them back on the same way — the setting is not permanent.
- Disabling comments on a post does not affect comments on your other posts or your ability to comment on other accounts.
How to turn off comments on a post you have already published
Open the post on your feed or profile. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post. A menu will appear with several options — select "Turn off commenting". Instagram will when ready hide the comment section, and no one will be able to add new comments. Any comments that were already there will disappear from view.
If you change your mind later, you can turn comments back on using the same steps. Open the post, tap the three dots, and select "Turn on commenting". This works whether the post is a photo, video, or carousel. The setting applies only to that single post, not to your other content.
How to limit comments to close friends only
When you create a new post, before you share it, you will see an option that says "Who can comment?" By default, it is set to "Everyone". Tap that option and select "Close Friends" instead. Only people you have added to your Close Friends list will see the comment section on that post.
This is useful if you want to share something personal or vulnerable without opening it up to your entire follower base. People who are not on your Close Friends list will still see the post, but they will not see a comment section at all. You can change this setting on posts you have already published by tapping the three dots and selecting "Edit post", then changing the comment setting before you save.
How to stop one person from commenting without blocking them
You can restrict a specific person so their comments are hidden from your posts, but they will not know they are restricted. Open your profile and tap the three lines in the bottom right. Go to "Settings and privacy", then "Blocking". Select "Restricted accounts" and search for the person's username. Tap "Restrict".
Once you restrict someone, their comments on your posts will only be visible to them — other people will not see them. They can still see your posts and send you messages, but you control what they can do on your content. You can unrestrict them at any time by going back to the same menu and tapping "Unrestrict".
What happens when you disable comments
When you turn off comments on a post, the comment section disappears completely. People cannot add new comments, and existing comments are hidden. They can still like the post, share it, and save it to their collection. The post stays visible on your profile and in feeds — disabling comments does not hide the post itself.
People who had already commented will not receive a notification that comments are now off. If they go back to look at the post, they will straightforward see no comment section. You can turn comments back on at any time, and the old comments will reappear.
How to manage comments on Reels
Reels work the same way as regular posts. Before you publish a Reel, you can set who can comment by tapping "Who can comment?" and choosing "Everyone" or "Close Friends". After you publish, you can turn off comments entirely by opening the Reel, tapping the three dots, and selecting "Turn off commenting".
You can also turn off comments on Stories, though the process is slightly different. When you post a Story, tap the sticker icon and add a poll or question sticker if you want interaction. To disable all replies to a Story, go to your Story settings and choose "Allow replies from" and select "No one". This prevents anyone from replying to that specific Story.
When to disable comments and what to do instead
Disable comments if you are posting about a sensitive topic, expect harassment, or straightforward want to share without conversation. You might also disable comments temporarily if a post is attracting arguments or spam, then turn them back on later once things settle.
If you are dealing with ongoing harassment from multiple people, consider making your account private so only approved followers can see your posts. You can also use Instagram's filter tools to automatically hide comments containing certain words or phrases. Go to "Settings and privacy", then "Filters and restrictions", and add words you want hidden. This lets comments stay visible to you while filtering what other people see.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people tell when I turn off comments on a post?
No. People will straightforward see that there is no comment section when they view the post. Instagram does not send a notification or show a message saying comments are disabled. They might notice if they had already commented and their comment disappears, but they will not receive an alert about it.
If I turn off comments on a post, does it affect my other posts?
No. Disabling comments on one post does not change the settings on any other post. Each post has its own comment setting. You can have comments on some posts and disabled on others at the same time.
Can I turn comments back on after I turn them off?
Yes. Open the post, tap the three dots, and select "Turn on commenting". Any comments that existed before you turned off comments will reappear. This works on posts you disabled comments on weeks or months ago.
What is the difference between disabling comments and restricting a person?
Disabling comments turns off the entire comment section for everyone. Restricting a person hides only their comments from other people while keeping comments open for everyone else. Use disabling for posts you do not want any comments on, and use restricting for specific people whose comments you want to hide.
If I restrict someone, can they still message me?
Yes. Restricting someone only affects comments on your posts and what they can see in your Stories. They can still send you direct messages, though you will not see notifications for them — their messages go to your message requests folder instead.