Instagram and other social networks help you to build a brand. However, they are also saturated with harassment and other types of non-constructive statements. This is why you need to know how to delete comments on Instagram as a form of community moderation.
Thankfully, it is easy to delete Instagram comments. You can make them disappear from your comments section within a few taps or clicks.
Apart from deletion, Instagram gives other options to get rid of negative comments. This article will explain all of these methods, so read on!
Can You Delete Instagram Comments?
Instagram lets you delete comments. But before proceeding to learn how to delete comments on Instagram, you need to know how it works.
You can delete comments that you and other people make on your posts and Reels. However, on other people’s content, you can only get rid of your comments.
Why You May Want to Delete Instagram Comments
If you are a content creator or a business owner, you probably already know that comments and other forms of engagement are good for your content. The more interactions posts and Reels get, the more likely they get recommended to Instagram users.
However, you may want to know how to delete comments on Instagram to get rid of unsavory responses from your content. These negative commentaries include hate speeches and spams.
Even if you have cultivated a positive community, hate comments are harmful because they attract non-constructive conversations. Such actions can hurt your brand as they make it seem like you do not monitor your comment sections.
Spams are as bad as hate comments. They may mislead your audience to win a fake giveaway or buy a product at a huge discount by giving financial credentials. Furthermore, the people behind the spam comments are known to misuse that information for their benefit.
How to Delete Comments on Instagram
You can delete Instagram comments in the social platform’s mobile and web app. Follow the methods below to do it.
In The Mobile App
Here are the steps to delete comments in Instagram’s mobile app:
1. Find the post or Reel that has a comment that you wish to delete.
2. Tap the comments icon.
3. For Android users, long tap on the comment you want to get rid of. For iOS users, swipe that comment to the left.
4. Tap Delete on the pop up menu.
That is how to delete comments on Instagram’s mobile app. An undo button will appear at the bottom of the screen after you delete the comment. If you did not undo within three seconds, you will not be able to recover the comment.
In The Web App
Below are the steps to delete comments in Instagram’s web app:
1. Find the post or Reel that has a comment that you wish to delete.
2. Hover your cursor over the comment you want to get rid of and click the three-dot button that appears next to it.
3. Click Delete on the pop up menu.
That is how to delete comments on Instagram’s web app. Unfortunately, there is no way to delete multiple Instagram comments simultaneously as of this writing. If you want to get rid of many comments at the same time, consider the alternative methods below.
Read: What Happens When You Mute Someone on Instagram
Alternatives to Deleting Instagram Comments
There are at least four ways to make comments disappear from your Instagram posts:
- Turning off comments
- Blocking users
- Restricting users
- Hiding comments based on certain words
Unlike when you practice how to delete comments on Instagram, the methods above will only hide comments except for blocking. When you block someone on Instagram, all of their comments on your posts are deleted and are not recoverable if you decide to unblock them.
Read on to learn more about how each method works and how to do them.
Turn Off Commenting
Instagram lets you turn off comments for posts individually. If you do so, existing comments will disappear and users cannot leave new ones unless you turn commenting back on. So, the result will be different from how to delete comments on Instagram.
Here are the steps to turn off comments:
1. Find the post which comments you want to turn off.
2. Tap the comments icon.
3. Tap the three-dot button.
4. Tap Turn off commenting.
Block Certain Instagram Users
Blocking a user on Instagram allows you to get rid of their comments they have ever left on your posts. Even if you unblock that person, their old comments will not return.
On top of that, blocked users will not be able to comment on your content again unless they make a new account. So, blocking is more effective than how to delete comments on Instagram in a way.
If you want to block negative commenters, do the following steps:
1. Find the user you want to block in the comments section.
2. Long tap on that user’s comment.
3. Tap Block Account on the pop up menu.
Read: How do You Know if Someone Blocked You on IG
Restrict Certain Instagram Users
When you restrict someone, that person can still comment on your posts. Nevertheless, their comments are not visible to other users. So, restricting can be considered as a subtle version of blocking and how to delete comments on Instagram.
If willing, you have the option to approve the restricted person’s comments to make them visible to other people. Otherwise, you can ignore or delete them.
There are multiple ways to restrict Instagram users, but we will only focus on how to do it from the comments section:
1. Find the user you want to block in the comments section.
2. Long tap on that user’s comment.
3. Tap Restrict account.
Read: What Does Quiet Mode Mean on Instagram
Hide Comments Automatically Based on Selected Words
So far you have learned how to delete comments on Instagram and a few alternative ways to get rid of negative responses. But unfortunately, all of the explained methods require you to monitor comments manually.
However, you can save time by letting Instagram hide inappropriate comments. You just have to set the words that you want Instagram to filter.
When this feature is turned on, comments containing those terms will be only visible to the commenter. Also, future comments with the specified terms will be deleted automatically.
So, if you want to learn how to delete comments on Instagram and hide past comments based on words that you choose, follow the steps below:
1. Visit your profile.
2. Tap the hamburger button on the top-right corner, then tap Settings.
3. Tap Privacy.
4. Tap Hidden Words.
5. Under the Custom words for messages and comments section, tap Manage custom words and phrases.
6. Type the words you want Instagram to filter. Once you are finished, tap the back button.
7. Tap Hide comments under Manage custom words and phrases to filter comments containing the words you just typed down.
Now you have learned how to delete comments on Instagram and hide past comments automatically. But if you want to double down, tap Hide comments under the Harmful or offensive comments and messages. This option lets Instagram hide potentially offensive comments from your posts.
Read: How to Delete Instagram Posts
Delete Instagram Comments as Needed
You can delete comments on Instagram in its mobile app or web app. Thanks to this capability, you are able to get rid of negative commentaries that can affect your online reputation, such as harassments and spams.
As an alternative to how to delete comments on Instagram, there are four options to make comments disappear:
- Turning off comments for certain posts
- Blocking or restricting Instagram users
- Hiding comments based on words you specify
We hope that this article helps you to manage comments in a better way. If you want more social media and content creation tips, be sure to subscribe to our blog!
FAQs About Deleting Comments on Instagram
How to delete comments on Instagram?
Android users can long tap on a comment to reveal the trash can icon for deletion. If you are an iOS user, swipe the comment to the left instead of long tapping.
If you delete a comment on instagram can others still see it?
No. Once you delete a comment, users will no longer see them.
Do people know when you delete their comment on Instagram?
No. Others will not be notified if you get rid of their comment.
