To hide a comment on Instagram, open the comments on your post, swipe left on the comment (iPhone) or press and hold it (Android), tap the options icon and choose Hide. The comment leaves public view and you can unhide it later. To hide comments automatically, use Instagram's Hidden Words filters. To stop comments completely, turn off commenting on that post or Live. This guide covers each one, plus what to do when there are too many comments to handle by hand.
Instagram changes its menus from time to time, and labels can differ slightly between app versions and countries. Steps checked in October 2026.
How to hide a comment on your post
- Open the post or Reel and tap the comment icon to see the comments.
- iPhone: swipe left on the comment. Android: press and hold the comment.
- Tap the options icon (an exclamation mark in a circle) that appears.
- Choose Hide. The comment is hidden from other people and moved to the hidden comments section of that post.
If Hide is not in the list, the same menu still lets you Restrict, Delete or Report. Restrict is a good middle option: new comments from that person are only visible to them unless you approve them.
How to see and unhide hidden comments
Hidden comments are not deleted. Instagram keeps them in a separate hidden comments section at the end of the comments on that post, including comments its filters hid for you. Instagram Help Center Open it, review what is there, and unhide anything that should be visible.
Check this section regularly. Automatic filters sometimes catch real customers, for example a buyer who writes "DM me the link". A hidden buyer question is a missed sale.
How to hide comments automatically
Instagram's Hidden Words settings hide comments for you before you see them. Instagram Help Center, Hidden Words
- Go to your profile, open the menu and go to Settings and activity.
- Under How others can interact with you, tap Hidden Words.
- Turn on the filter that hides offensive comments.
- Add your own words, phrases and emojis to the custom list, such as the scam phrases you keep seeing.
During a sudden pile-on, Limit interactions (in the same section) can temporarily hide comments and message requests from accounts that don't follow you or only recently followed you. Instagram, introducing Limits Turn it off afterwards, because it also hides first-time buyers.
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Start free, no card requiredHow to turn off comments on a post or Reel
Before you share
On the final screen before posting, open Advanced settings and switch on Turn off commenting.
After you share
Open the post, tap the three dots at the top and choose Turn off commenting. You can turn comments back on the same way. You can also limit who can comment (everyone, people you follow, or your followers) in Settings and activity under Comments.
Turning comments off stops the spam, but it also stops every buyer question. For a product post or an ad, hiding the bad comments usually works better than closing the conversation.
How to hide comments on Instagram Live
While you are live, tap the three dots in the comment field and choose Turn off commenting. This hides comments for the whole Live. You can't selectively hide single comments during a Live, but you can block or restrict a person who is causing trouble. Instagram's filters for rude or objectionable comments also cover live videos. Instagram Help Center
How to remove many comments at once
Instagram lets you select up to 25 comments on a post and delete them in one go, and block or restrict several accounts at once. Instagram, bulk comment management Open the comments, tap the three dots at the top, choose Manage comments, select the comments, and pick the action.
This is fine for a cleanup. If you are doing it every day, read our guide to bulk hiding bad Instagram comments and auto-hiding spam on Instagram and Facebook.
Hide, delete, restrict or block?
| Action | What it does | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Hide | Removes from public view, reversible | Spam, bots, anything you are unsure about |
| Delete | Removes permanently | Scam or malicious links |
| Restrict | Their new comments are only visible to them unless you approve | Repeat trolls you don't want to block |
| Block | Stops them interacting with you | Impersonators and harassment |
| Reply | Answers in public | Buyer questions and genuine complaints. Hiding a real complaint usually makes it worse. |
When hiding by hand stops working
Hiding comments one at a time works for a small account. It breaks when a post or ad brings hundreds of comments a day, because the spam and the buyers arrive mixed together. In our study of 6,519 comments and DMs on one brand account, 25% were spam and 2.9% showed buying intent, and 83% of those buyers waited more than a day for a reply.
A comment moderation tool that connects through Meta's official API reads every comment as it arrives. ReplyMint hides spam, scams and hate within seconds, keeps a log of everything it hid so you can restore it, sends complaints to you instead of hiding them, and answers buyer questions in your voice. See how Instagram comment moderation works in ReplyMint, or compare the best Instagram comment moderation tools.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center, Hide comments or message requests you don't want to see
- Instagram, "Continuing Our Work to Fight Online Bullying" (May 2020)
- Instagram, "Introducing New Ways to Protect Our Community from Abuse" (Aug 2021)
Frequently asked questions
How do you hide a comment on Instagram?
Open the comments on your post. On iPhone, swipe left on the comment; on Android, press and hold it. Tap the options icon and choose Hide. The comment disappears from public view, and you can unhide it later. If you do not see Hide, your app may show Restrict, Delete and Report instead.
Can you hide comments on Instagram without deleting them?
Yes. Hiding takes a comment out of public view without removing it, so you can bring it back if you hid it by mistake. Deleting is permanent.
Where do hidden comments go on Instagram?
Comments that Instagram's filters or you have hidden are kept in a separate hidden comments section at the end of the comments on that post. You can review them there and unhide any that should be visible.
Can you hide comments on Instagram Live?
You can turn comments off for your whole Live. While live, tap the three dots in the comment field and choose Turn off commenting. You cannot pick out single comments to hide during a Live, but you can block or restrict a person.
Can I hide comments on someone else’s Instagram post?
No. Only the account that owns the post can hide comments on it. You can restrict, block or report the person who wrote the comment.
How do I hide spam comments on Instagram automatically?
Turn on Instagram's Hidden Words filters and add your own words, phrases and emojis. For accounts that get hundreds of comments a day or run ads, a moderation tool that uses Meta's official API, like ReplyMint, reads each comment as it arrives and hides spam, scams and hate within seconds, without hiding buyers who use similar words.
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