Delete your own comment in three taps
Open the post where you left the comment. Find your comment in the thread, then press and hold on it. A menu will appear with options including "Delete" — tap that and the comment disappears when ready. You can do this on any post you commented on, whether it was yours or someone else's.
If you cannot find your comment, scroll down through the thread. Instagram loads older comments as you scroll, so a comment from weeks ago may not be visible at first. Once you locate it, the press-and-hold method works the same way.
Deleted comments vanish for everyone. The person who posted the photo will not see a notification that you deleted it — it straightforward ceases to exist in the thread. If someone replied to your comment before you deleted it, their reply will remain but will appear disconnected from the original comment.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold your own comment, then tap "Delete" from the menu that appears.
- Deleted comments disappear for everyone, including the post owner and anyone who replied to you.
- You can remove comments from others on your own posts by tapping "Delete" from the same menu.
- Blocking or restricting a person prevents their future comments on your posts without deleting past ones.
- Instagram does not notify people when you delete their comments from your posts.
Remove comments from others on your own posts
When someone comments on your photo or video, you have the power to delete that comment from your post. Press and hold the comment you want to remove, then select "Delete" from the menu. The comment vanishes, and the person who wrote it receives no notification that you deleted it.
This works for any comment on any of your posts, regardless of who wrote it. You do not need to be friends with the person or have any special permission — if it is your post, you control what comments appear on it.
Deleting a comment is different from blocking or restricting someone. Deletion removes one specific comment. Blocking prevents that person from seeing your profile or commenting on future posts. Restricting limits their ability to see when you are online and hides your story from them, but they can still comment — you just will not be notified.
When to delete versus when to restrict or block
Delete a single comment when someone made an isolated remark you do not want visible. This is useful for spam, off-topic posts, or comments that do not fit the tone of your account. The person can still follow you and comment again in the future.
Restrict someone when you want to reduce their access without them knowing. Restricted accounts cannot see your story, cannot see when you are active, and their comments go to a separate folder you can review before approving them. They will not realize they are restricted.
Block someone when you want a complete separation. Blocked people cannot find your profile, cannot see your posts, and cannot message you. They will know they are blocked because they cannot access your account.
Bulk delete your own comments
Instagram does not have a feature to delete multiple comments at once. You must delete each comment individually by finding it, pressing and holding, and selecting delete. If you have left many comments you want to remove, this takes time but is the only method available.
One workaround is to delete the entire post if your comment is on your own photo or video. This removes the post and all comments on it at once. Go to your post, tap the three dots in the corner, and select "Delete." This is permanent and cannot be undone.
Comments you cannot delete
You can delete comments you wrote on other people's posts, and you can delete any comment on your own posts. You cannot delete comments that other people wrote on their own posts, even if you find the comment offensive or incorrect. Only the person who wrote the comment or the person who owns the post can delete it.
If someone wrote a false or harmful comment on another person's post, report it to Instagram instead of trying to delete it yourself. Tap the three dots next to the comment and select "Report Comment." Instagram will review it against their community guidelines.
What happens to replies when you delete a comment
If someone replied to your comment before you deleted it, their reply stays on the post. It will appear in the thread but will no longer be connected to your original comment, making it look out of context. The person who replied will see that the comment they were replying to no longer exists.
This is why deleting a comment with multiple replies can look odd in a thread. If you want to avoid this, edit your comment instead of deleting it. You can change the text to something neutral or brief, and the replies will still make sense in context.
Edit instead of delete
You can edit a comment you wrote instead of deleting it. Press and hold your comment and select "Edit." Change the text and tap "Done." The edited comment stays in the thread with all its replies intact, and people can see that you edited it — Instagram adds a small "edited" label.
Editing is useful when you made a typo, want to add clarification, or realize your comment came across wrong. The original timestamp remains, so people know when you first posted it. Editing does not notify anyone, but they will see the change if they look at the comment again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone see that I deleted my comment?
No. When you delete a comment, it straightforward disappears. The post owner and anyone who saw your comment will not receive a notification that you deleted it. If someone replied to your comment, they will see that the comment no longer exists, but Instagram does not tell them you deleted it.
What if I delete a comment and then want to post it again?
You will have to type it out again from scratch. Instagram does not save deleted comments or provide an undo option. If you think you might want to keep the comment, edit it instead of deleting it, or copy the text before you delete it so you can paste it elsewhere.
Does deleting a comment remove the likes it had?
Yes. When you delete a comment, all the likes on that comment disappear along with it. The people who liked your comment will not be notified that it was deleted — the like straightforward ceases to exist.
Can I delete comments on my own posts from the app and the website?
Yes. The process is the same on both. On the website, hover over the comment and look for the three dots, then select "Delete." On the app, press and hold the comment. Both methods work identically.
If I restrict someone, can they still see their old comments on my posts?
Yes. Restricting someone does not delete their past comments. It only affects their ability to see your story, see when you are online, and have their new comments appear in your main feed. Their old comments remain visible on your posts unless you manually delete them.