How to Delete YouTube Comments (Yours and Ones on Your Videos)

There are really two different jobs hiding behind this search. Either you've written a comment you now regret and want it gone, or somebody has left a comment on your own video that you don't want sitting under it. YouTube treats those very differently, so I've split this guide in two. Both matter if you run a small business channel, because a stray comment from a year ago can say more about you than your latest upload. Everything below follows what YouTube's help centre says, and where it doesn't spell out a step for a particular device, I'll tell you rather than guess.

Delete a YouTube comment you wrote yourself

The help centre describes two routes. The first starts from your Comment History, which is a page that lists the public comments you've left across YouTube.

1. Open your Comment History in YouTube on a computer.
2. Find the comment you want to remove and select the menu icon on it.
3. Choose the delete option and confirm.

The second route starts from the video itself, which is handy if you remember where you commented:

1. Go to the video where you left the comment.
2. Point to the top right of your comment and click the More icon, the three dots.
3. Choose Delete.

According to the help centre, you can also open Comment History, click or tap the link to the video, and use More next to your comment to edit or delete it. The article doesn't give a separate walk-through for the Android or iPhone apps, so if the menu looks a little different on your phone, look for the three dots beside your comment. Menus vary by app version.

Edit a YouTube comment instead of deleting it

Sometimes the comment is fine and it's the typo that's the problem. The same More menu offers Edit alongside Delete, so you can fix a wrong name or a bad link without losing the thread of the conversation. I'd edit rather than delete whenever other people have already replied, because a deleted comment leaves your replies talking to nothing. The help article doesn't say what happens to replies when you delete a comment, so I won't promise anything on that.

Can't find the comment you want to delete?

The help centre lists a few reasons a comment won't show in your history:

• The video it was on has been deleted. Comments on deleted videos don't appear in Comment History.
• YouTube removed it for breaking a policy. Removed comments don't appear there either.
• The channel owner removed it. The help article says a comment can be taken down by the person who wrote it, the channel owner, or YouTube.

If you got a notice that a comment of yours was removed, the help centre says that can happen when the system spots comments that may be repeatedly breaking the Community Guidelines. If you disagree, there's a feedback link on that help page. Commenting can also be paused on an account for up to 24 hours.

Delete or remove comments on your own YouTube video

Now the creator side. If you own the channel, you're not stuck with what strangers write. YouTube's help for the Studio app says to open the app, tap Community in the bottom menu, tap View all, and you'll see your comments, with Published ones showing by default. From there you can tap More on any comment to remove it, report it as spam, or hide the user from your channel.

On a computer, YouTube Studio offers the same kind of options, though the help pages mostly walk through the app, so menus vary by version. If you're newer to Studio, my guide to using YouTube Studio's editing tools will help you get your bearings.

Remove, report or hide: which one do you want for a comment?

Option	What YouTube's help says it does	Use it when
Remove	Takes the comment down from your video	It's off-topic, rude or just not what you want under your video
Report as spam	Permanently hides the comment from your channel and YouTube may review the comment and the commenter's behaviour	It's a scam, a fake offer or obvious junk
Hide user	Keeps that person's comments from showing on your channel	The same person keeps coming back
Hold for review	Keeps a comment out of public view until you approve it	You'd rather screen comments before they appear

Hold YouTube comments for review before they show

Deleting after the fact is a bit like mopping up once the tap's been left running. YouTube lets creators hold comments first. The comment settings page describes four moderation levels when comments are on: None holds nothing, Basic holds potentially inappropriate comments, Strict holds a broader range, and Hold all holds every comment. Held comments sit in a Held tab in YouTube Studio, they aren't public unless you approve them, and the help says they stay there for up to 60 days.

The help centre also notes that Basic and Strict use automation, so they won't always be right. If one gets it wrong, you can send feedback from the review screen. For stopping comments altogether, I've covered the options in my guide to turning off comments on YouTube.

Block words and links so fewer YouTube comments need deleting

Two channel-level tools save a lot of clean-up. Blocked words holds comments containing or closely matching the words you list, and blocked links holds comments containing web addresses. YouTube's help says these apply across all your videos and your channel homepage, so you can't set them for a single video. Comments from you, your moderators and approved users aren't blocked. Approved users skip the filters completely, which is useful for loyal regulars.

Report a YouTube comment you didn't write

If a comment on someone else's video is abusive or spammy, you can't delete it, but you can report it. YouTube's help says you can report a comment as spam or abuse, and it links to a separate article with the steps. I've written up the whole process in my guide to reporting a YouTube video, Short or comment. If someone has threatened you, report it to the platform and, if you're in danger, contact the police.

What happens after you delete a YouTube comment

It disappears from the video for everyone, and it drops out of your Comment History. If you want the thought back, you'll have to write it again, because the help centre doesn't describe any way to restore a deleted comment. Before you remove a comment from your own channel, think about whether a calm reply would do more for your reputation. A visible, polite answer to a tricky question often impresses other viewers more than a clean comments section.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete my own comment on YouTube?

Open your Comment History or go to the video, point to the top right of your comment, click More (the three dots) and choose Delete. YouTube's help centre doesn't give separate app steps, so look for the three dots on your phone.

Why can't I see my YouTube comment in my history?

YouTube's help says comments on deleted videos, and comments removed for policy violations, don't appear in Comment History.

Can I delete other people's comments on my YouTube video?

Yes, if you own the channel. In YouTube Studio you can remove a comment, report it as spam or hide the user from your channel.

What does hiding a user on YouTube do?

According to YouTube's help, it keeps that person's comments from showing on your channel.

How long are held YouTube comments kept?

YouTube's help says held comments stay in YouTube Studio for up to 60 days and aren't public unless you approve them.

Can I get a deleted YouTube comment back?

The help centre doesn't describe any way to restore a deleted comment, so assume it's gone and write it again if you need to.