Yes, you can hide comments on Instagram, but only on your own content. You can hide them one at a time, hide them automatically with filters, or switch comments off entirely. This guide covers every option in Meta's Help Center, the exact taps for each, and what to do when you are a business that wants fewer public comment threads without ignoring customers.
Can You Hide Comments on Instagram?
You can hide comments on your own posts. Meta's Help Center describes a few connected tools:
- Manual hide for individual comments on your posts.
- Automatic filters, including Hide unwanted comments and your own list of Hidden Words.
- Turning off commenting for a post, Reel or Story.
- Restrict and Limits, which quietly reduce what a specific person or group can do.
When you hide a comment, the person who wrote it is not told, and they can still see their own comment. Hidden comments also still count toward the total comment number on the post.
What you cannot do is hide other people's comments on someone else's post. On posts that are not yours, the only comments you can remove are the ones you wrote yourself.
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How Do You Hide a Comment on Your Own Post?
Meta's instructions for hiding a single comment, using the mobile app on iOS or Android:
- Open the post and go to the comments.
- Find the comment you want to hide and tap Hide under it.
The comment is then visible only to you and the person who made it. Other people cannot see it, and the commenter cannot tell it has been hidden. Manual hiding is a mobile app feature, so you will not find the option on a desktop browser.
To unhide a comment: open the post, scroll to the bottom of the comment section and tap View hidden comments, then tap Unhide under the comment.
How Do You Hide Multiple Comments at Once?
If a post is attracting a lot of spam, you can select several comments instead of tapping through them one by one. According to the Help Center, you can manage up to 25 comments at once: tap Comments on your post, select Options, then choose Select multiple comments. From there you can hide or delete the selected comments, or block the accounts behind them. To restrict a specific account, tap and hold their comment and select Restrict.
This feature is available on the mobile app, not on computers.
How Do You Automatically Hide Offensive Comments?
Instagram has two built-in filters that hide comments before you see them.
Hide unwanted comments
This filter automatically hides comments with common offensive words, phrases or emojis that are likely to be abusive or mean, such as insults, sexual remarks or personal attacks. Meta says it is on by default. To adjust it on mobile:
- Tap your profile picture, then tap Menu in the top right.
- Below How others can interact with you, tap Comments.
- Below Types of comments, tap Hide unwanted comments.
- Choose None, Some or More.
Hidden Words (your own list)
Hidden Words lets you add words, phrases, numbers and emojis you want hidden from comments. On mobile:
- Tap your profile picture, then Menu.
- Below How others can interact with you, tap Hidden words.
- Tap Add words separated by commas... and enter your list.
On Instagram.com, go to More, then Settings, and under How others can interact with you click Hidden Words, then Manage custom words and phrases. Separate each entry with a comma.
Businesses often add competitor handles, repeated spam phrases, and words tied to scams in their niche. Meta also offers a Hide unwanted message requests setting that sends message requests with scams or offensive language to your spam folder. It is off by default.
When you turn these filters off, hidden comments are restored.
How Do You Turn Off Comments on Instagram?
If you do not want any comments on something, switch them off.
On an existing post or Reel: tap Options above the post, then select Turn off commenting. Turning commenting off hides the comments already there. If you turn it back on, the previous comments are restored.
Before you post: on the screen where you add a caption, tap Advanced settings, then turn on Turn off commenting.
On Stories: to switch comments off for all your Stories, tap Add, then Story, tap Settings at the top right, tap Story, and below Commenting set Allow comments to Off. For a single Story, tap Options and choose Turn off commenting, either while editing or after posting.
Limit who can comment: go to Settings, then Comments under How others can interact with you. Public accounts can allow comments from people you follow, your followers, or both. Private accounts can allow your followers or followers you follow back.
What Is the Difference Between Hide, Delete, Restrict and Limits?
These tools overlap, so here is when to use each.
| Tool | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Hide | Comment stays visible to you and the commenter only | Rude or off-topic comments you do not want to escalate |
| Delete | Removes the comment. On your own posts you can delete anyone's comments | Spam, scams, clear violations |
| Turn off commenting | Hides all comments on a post and stops new ones | Sensitive posts, announcements |
| Restrict | A restricted person's new comments are visible only to them unless you approve. You do not get notifications for their future comments | Someone who is annoying but not worth a block |
| Limits | Temporarily hides comments and messages from groups such as recent followers, for up to four weeks | A post goes viral or you are being targeted |
| Block | Cuts the account off from interacting with you | Harassment |
Messages from accounts you restrict move to Message Requests. For finding and handling those, see our guide to Instagram message requests. To review comments from accounts you have limited, open Comments on your post, select Options and tap See Limited Comments, where you can approve, delete or block. Limits is a mobile app feature, it moves new messages from limited accounts to Hidden Requests, and the people you limit are not notified.
Can You Hide Comments on Other People's Posts?
No. Instagram only lets you hide comments on your own posts. On someone else's post you can report a comment, but you cannot hide it for other viewers.
If your concern is your own comments, the Help Center says you can delete comments you have written on other people's posts, and you can view and delete multiple comments you have made. It does not describe a setting that hides your comments from your followers while leaving them posted.
How Should a Business Handle Comments Without Hiding Everything?
Hiding is for abuse. Customer questions deserve an answer, and a long product thread under a Reel is rarely the best place to give one. A common approach is to answer the question where it is easier to have a conversation: the DMs, which is the core idea behind Instagram DM automation.
Instagram supports this through private replies. A business can send one private message to a person who commented on its post, Reel, Story, Live or ad post, as long as it does so within 7 days of the comment. Only one message can be sent per comment, and the message appears in the commenter's Inbox if they follow the account or in their Requests folder if they do not. A follow-up is possible only if the person replies, within 24 hours of that reply. These are the rules for developers using the official API.
In practice this gives you a clean pattern:
- Ask people to comment a keyword, such as PRICE or LINK, for details.
- A tool sends the private reply with the answer, the link or the next question.
- The public thread stays tidy, and the conversation continues in the inbox where you can see the whole history.
Our comment-to-DM workflow page shows how to set this up in FlowGent, which can also post an automatic public reply under the comment such as "Sent you a DM". To be clear about scope, FlowGent does not hide or delete comments for you. Use Instagram's own tools above for moderation, and use FlowGent for the replies. The Starter plan is $19 per month and includes comment-to-DM flows, with a 7-day free trial. For a full example of turning conversations into sales, see the DM sales funnel page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the person know when you hide their comment?
No. Meta says the person who wrote a hidden comment is not notified, and they can still see their own comment. It is visible only to you and them, which keeps an awkward exchange from turning into an argument. Other people viewing the post cannot see it.
Do hidden comments still count?
Yes. According to the Help Center, hidden comments are still included in the total comment count on the post. If you want the number to go down, delete the comment instead of hiding it. Deleting is permanent, so hide first if you might want to review it later.
Can I hide comments on Reels and Stories?
You can switch off commenting on your posts, Reels and Stories for everyone. For a single Story, use Options and choose Turn off commenting, before or after posting. Manual hiding, tapping Hide under a comment, is described for comments on your own posts, so check how it appears for your Reels in the app.
How do I stop comments with certain words from appearing?
Add them to Hidden Words. On mobile, go to Menu, then Hidden words, and enter your list separated by commas. Instagram hides matching comments on posts you share and in message requests, and you can edit or remove entries at any time. Meta also offers a Hide unwanted comments filter that is on by default.
Why did a comment disappear on its own?
Instagram's Hide unwanted comments filter is on by default and hides comments likely to be abusive. A custom Hidden Words match or a restricted account can also cause a comment to be hidden. Check View hidden comments at the bottom of the comment section.