You can delete comments in two ways: remove your own comments from anyone's post, or delete comments that others leave on your posts
Instagram lets you delete a comment you wrote on anyone's post, and it also lets you delete comments that other people leave on your own posts. The steps are slightly different depending on which one you need to do. Deleting your own comment removes it everywhere — the person who posted won't see it, and neither will anyone else. Deleting someone else's comment from your post removes it only from your post; they can still see it in their own activity if they go looking.
Both actions take about 10 seconds once you find the comment. You don't need to ask permission, and the other person won't get a notification that you deleted something — though if they're looking at the post when you delete it, they'll notice it's gone.
Key Takeaways
- To delete your own comment, find it on any post, tap and hold it, then tap Delete.
- To delete someone else's comment from your post, tap and hold their comment, then tap Delete.
- Deleted comments disappear when ready and cannot be recovered.
- The person whose comment you delete won't receive a notification, but they may notice if they return to the post.
- You can also hide comments from your posts without deleting them, which keeps the comment but marks it as hidden from most viewers.
How to delete a comment you wrote
Find the post where you left the comment. Scroll through the comments section until you see your own comment — it will have your profile picture next to it. Tap and hold directly on the text of your comment (not on your name or picture). A menu will pop up with several options.
Tap the word "Delete" in that menu. The comment disappears when ready. If you change your mind within a few seconds, you can't undo this — there's no undo button. The comment is gone from the post, and the person who posted won't see it anymore.
This works the same way whether you're deleting a comment from a friend's post, a public account, or a brand page. You can delete your own comments from any post on Instagram, even if the original post is still there.
How to delete comments that others leave on your posts
Go to one of your own posts. Look at the comments section and find the comment you want to remove. Tap and hold on that comment — the text itself, not the person's name. A menu will appear with options including Delete.
Tap "Delete" and the comment is removed from your post. It no longer shows up in the comments section, and visitors to your post won't see it. The person who wrote the comment can still see it in their own activity history, but it's gone from your post.
You can delete comments from anyone — followers, friends, or strangers. You have complete control over what appears in the comments on your own posts. This is different from blocking or restricting someone, which affects their ability to interact with you in other ways.
The difference between deleting and hiding comments
Instagram also offers a "Hide" option for comments on your posts, which is different from deleting. When you hide a comment, it stays on your post but only you and the person who wrote it can see it. Everyone else sees a message saying "This comment was hidden" with an option to tap and view it if they want.
Hiding is useful when you want to keep a comment from being visible to most people without completely removing it. For example, you might hide a comment that's off-topic or slightly inappropriate but not bad enough to delete. To hide a comment, tap and hold it and select "Hide" instead of "Delete." You can unhide it later by tapping and holding again and selecting "Unhide."
If you delete a comment, you cannot recover it. If you hide a comment, you can always unhide it. Choose based on whether you want the comment to stay on your post at all.
What happens when you delete a comment
When you delete your own comment, it vanishes from the post when ready. The person who posted won't get a notification that you deleted it — they'll only notice if they look at the comments and see it's no longer there. If they had already liked your comment or replied to it, those interactions disappear too.
When you delete someone else's comment from your post, the same thing happens from their perspective. They won't get a notification saying you deleted their comment. If they return to your post later, they'll see it's gone, but Instagram doesn't send them a message about it. If other people had replied to that comment, those replies disappear along with the original comment.
Deleted comments cannot be recovered. There's no trash folder, no archive, and no way to restore a comment once it's deleted. If you delete something by accident, your only option is to ask the person to rewrite it.
Managing comments on posts you care about
If you post something that gets a lot of comments, you might want to delete or hide comments as they come in. You can do this from the post itself — just open the post, scroll through comments, and delete or hide as needed. You can also turn on comment filters in your Instagram settings, which automatically hide comments containing certain words or phrases you choose.
If someone is repeatedly leaving comments you don't want, you have options beyond deleting individual comments. You can restrict that person, which hides their comments from your posts and prevents them from seeing when you're active. You can also block them entirely, which prevents them from seeing your posts at all. These are stronger actions than deleting comments, so use them when a single person is the problem rather than just one comment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the person see that I deleted their comment?
No, Instagram doesn't send a notification when you delete someone's comment. They'll only know if they go back to your post and notice it's missing. There's no way for them to know for certain that you deleted it rather than it disappearing for another reason.
Can I delete comments on someone else's post if I'm not the one who wrote them?
No. You can only delete comments you wrote yourself, or comments that other people wrote on your own posts. You cannot delete comments on someone else's post unless you're the one who wrote them.
If I delete a comment, can I get it back?
No. Deleted comments are gone permanently. Instagram doesn't have a recovery option or trash folder for comments. If you delete something by accident, you'll need to write it again.
What's the difference between deleting a comment and blocking someone?
Deleting a comment removes just that one piece of text from your post. Blocking someone prevents them from seeing any of your posts, following you, or contacting you. Blocking is a much stronger action and should be used when someone is repeatedly causing problems, not just for a single comment.
Do I need to be on my phone to delete comments, or can I do it on a computer?
You can delete comments on both the Instagram app and the Instagram website. The steps are the same — find the comment, tap and hold (or right-click on a computer), and select Delete from the menu.