You can delete your own comments in seconds, but Instagram's rules about deleting other people's comments are stricter
If you posted a comment on Instagram and want to remove it, you can delete it yourself at any time. Open the post, find your comment, tap and hold it (or right-click on desktop), and select Delete. The comment disappears when ready.
If someone else posted a comment on your photo or video, you have more power than on most social platforms — you can delete their comment without their permission. This is because it's your post. You can also hide comments from specific people, or turn off comments entirely on a post after you've shared it.
The rules are different if you're a business account or a public figure. Instagram may limit what you can do, and some actions get logged in ways personal accounts don't see.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete your own comments on any post by tapping and holding the comment, then selecting Delete from the menu.
- You can delete comments that other people posted on your own photos or videos, and they will not be notified that you deleted them.
- You can hide a specific commenter's future comments without deleting past ones, which keeps them from seeing your posts in their feed.
- Turning off comments entirely on a post stops new comments but does not remove comments already there.
- If you delete a comment, Instagram does not send a notification to the person who posted it, but they may notice if they look back at the post.
How to delete a comment you wrote yourself
Open the Instagram post where you left the comment. Scroll to find your comment in the thread. On a phone, tap and hold your comment until a menu appears. On desktop, right-click your comment. Select Delete from the options shown.
The comment is gone when ready. The person who posted the photo will not get a notification that you deleted it, but they may see it's missing if they look at the comment count. If your comment had replies from other people, those replies disappear too.
How to delete comments other people posted on your post
Go to the photo or video you posted. Find the comment you want to remove. On a phone, tap and hold the comment. On desktop, hover over it and tap the three dots that appear. Select Delete.
The comment vanishes from your post. Instagram does not notify the person who wrote it that you deleted their comment, though they may notice if they go back to look. You can delete as many comments as you want from your own posts — there is no limit.
Hiding comments from a specific person without deleting them
If you want to stop seeing comments from one person without deleting what they've already written, you can restrict them. This is different from blocking. When you restrict someone, their new comments on your posts go into a hidden folder that only you can see. Their old comments stay visible to everyone.
To restrict someone, go to their profile, tap the three dots in the top right, and select Restrict. From that point on, their comments appear only to you. They won't know they're restricted. If you change your mind, you can unrestrict them the same way.
Turning off comments on a post after you've shared it
You can stop new comments from appearing on a post you've already published. Go to your post, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select Turn off commenting. No one can add new comments, but comments already there stay visible.
This is useful if a post is getting unwanted attention or if the conversation has become something you don't want to manage. You can turn comments back on later by tapping the three dots again and selecting Turn on commenting.
What happens when you delete a comment on a business or creator account
If your account is labeled as a business account or creator account, Instagram keeps records of comments you delete. You can see a log of deleted comments in your account settings under Settings and Privacy > Moderation > Deleted Comments. Personal accounts do not have this feature.
The deletion itself works the same way — the comment disappears from the post when ready. But the record exists in your account, which can be useful if you need to track harassment or spam. You can also set up automatic filters to delete comments containing certain words or phrases before they appear on your posts at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I deleted their comment?
Instagram does not send a notification when you delete someone's comment. They will only know if they go back to the post and notice their comment is gone. If they had a conversation going with other people in the replies, they might realize something happened when they can't find their part of the thread.
Can I delete comments on someone else's post?
No. You can only delete comments on posts you created. If you posted a comment on someone else's photo and want it gone, you have to delete it yourself. The person who posted the photo can delete it if they want to, but you cannot ask Instagram to remove it for you unless it violates Instagram's rules.
What's the difference between deleting a comment and restricting someone?
Deleting removes the comment from everyone's view. Restricting hides that person's future comments from everyone except you, but their old comments stay visible. Use delete if you want the comment gone. Use restrict if you want to stop seeing comments from someone without making it obvious to them or to other people.
If I delete a comment, do the replies to that comment disappear too?
Yes. When you delete a comment, all replies to it are deleted as well. If someone replied to your comment and you delete your comment, their reply goes away too. This is why it's worth thinking twice before deleting if there's been a back-and-forth conversation.
Can I see a list of comments I've deleted?
On a business or creator account, yes — go to Settings and Privacy > Moderation > Deleted Comments. On a personal account, Instagram does not keep a record you can view. Once you delete a comment, you cannot retrieve it.