How to Hide TikTok LIVE Chat: Turn Off or Filter Comments

A busy TikTok LIVE chat can be lovely, but sometimes you want it quiet. Maybe you're running a demo, teaching a class or answering questions out loud, and a scrolling wall of comments is distracting. Or you've spotted unkind comments and want them gone.

I've followed TikTok's own help pages on LIVE comments. They're written for creators and moderators, and that's where the real controls are. I'll also be upfront about what the help pages don't cover for viewers.

What hiding the TikTok LIVE chat can mean

People use the phrase to mean a few different things, and TikTok gives you a different tool for each one.

• Turn comments off for everyone during your LIVE.
• Filter out unkind, spammy or community-flagged comments, so they don't show to viewers.
• Block certain words or phrases so comments containing them are hidden.
• Mute one viewer, or block them.

To go LIVE at all, TikTok says you must be at least 18 and have 1,000 followers, which may vary across regions, and that LIVE features aren't available everywhere.

Turning off the chat before you go TikTok LIVE

1. In the TikTok app, tap the Add post + button at the bottom.
2. Tap LIVE at the bottom. You may need to scroll across to find it.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Comment settings.
5. Turn Allow comments off.

TikTok says Allow comments is on by default, and that comment settings are available before and during a LIVE. So it's worth checking this screen every time you go LIVE rather than assuming your last choice carried over.

Hiding the chat while your TikTok LIVE is already running

You can open the same settings mid-stream. TikTok says you can adjust LIVE tools and settings, including safety settings, during your LIVE by tapping More at the bottom and then Settings. From there, go to Comment settings and turn Allow comments off.

Once comments are off, TikTok says viewers can't view or send comments. That's a good option if a LIVE suddenly attracts unwelcome attention, because you can switch it back on when things settle.

Using TikTok LIVE comment filters instead of turning the chat off

If you'd rather keep the conversation going, the filters may be a gentler option. In Comment settings, TikTok lists:

• Filter comments: choose which comments to filter, including spam, potentially unkind and community-flagged comments. Potentially unkind and spam comments are filtered by default, and you can turn the filtering off for both. This is only available to creators.
• Blocked keywords: add up to 500 keywords or phrases, each up to 30 characters. Matching comments aren't shown to you or your viewers. TikTok says similar versions are blocked by default, so blocking "bad" also blocks "badness".
• Mute rules: mute viewers who use a word you add. TikTok says only the exact keyword counts, and the rules apply to one LIVE, so you need to set them each time.
• Mute duration: choose whether muted viewers are muted for the whole LIVE or a set time.

Community-flagged comments are ones that the TikTok community previously blocked, muted or reported. If you filter them, TikTok says viewers won't see them, and they appear faded to you and your moderators.

Hiding one person's TikTok LIVE comments

During a LIVE, tap the comment in the chat, or the viewer's profile and then More. TikTok lists these choices:

• Reply to the viewer in the chat.
• Pin a comment to the top of the chat for a short time.
• Translate it to your app's default language.
• Mute account: the viewer's comments are muted for a set time and they're told.
• Block: this also blocks the viewer from interacting with you through your posts, profile or direct messages.
• Report the comment.

If the problem is more than a rude comment, report it to TikTok and, if you ever feel in danger, contact the police. My guide to deleting TikTok messages is useful for tidying private chats after a LIVE.

Hiding the TikTok LIVE chat from a web browser

TikTok says that to go LIVE on a web browser you need LIVE Studio on Windows, or OBS Studio on Linux, macOS or Windows. The comment settings on the web work like this:

1. Before or during a LIVE, click Settings in the LIVE chat panel.
2. Click Moderation settings.
3. Click Comment settings.
4. Use the Comments setting to turn comments on or off, and choose a mute duration.

Several tools, such as filtering and pinning, are marked by TikTok as only available in the TikTok app.

When a moderator manages your TikTok LIVE chat

If you have moderators, TikTok says they can only use comment settings if you give them comment permission. Moderators can tap Share at the bottom of the LIVE, then Settings, to manage comments in the app, or click Settings at the top of the chat on the web. For more on this, see TikTok's help page on moderating LIVE.

What if you're a viewer and want to hide the TikTok LIVE chat?

TikTok's help pages cover the creator and moderator tools above. They don't describe a viewer button for hiding the chat on someone else's LIVE, so I can't give you steps I can't confirm. The app interface changes, so you may see a display option on your screen, but I'd treat it as app-version dependent.

What the help pages do say is that you can't see or send comments if the creator has turned them off, filtered them, or muted or blocked you. If your chat has gone blank, that's usually the reason.

If the TikTok LIVE chat settings won't work

• Update the TikTok app and restart your phone.
• Check you meet the requirements to go LIVE in your location.
• Remember some filtering tools are only in the app, not on the web.
• Mute rules need setting again for each LIVE.
• If it still won't work, report a problem from the app's settings.

Creators who want people to find their other links after a LIVE can look at my guide to adding Linktree to TikTok.

Frequently asked questions

How do I hide chat on TikTok LIVE?

Tap Add post +, then LIVE, then Settings and Comment settings, and turn Allow comments off. You can also open Settings during a LIVE from More at the bottom.

Can I turn off comments during a TikTok LIVE?

Yes. TikTok says comment settings are available before and during a LIVE.

Can viewers hide the TikTok LIVE chat?

TikTok's help pages describe tools for creators and moderators and don't describe a viewer button for hiding chat.

How many keywords can I block on TikTok LIVE?

TikTok says up to 500 keywords or phrases, each up to 30 characters.

Can moderators change my LIVE comment settings?

Only if you give them comment permissions, according to TikTok.

Why can't I see comments on a TikTok LIVE?

TikTok says comments don't show if the creator turned them off, filtered them, or muted or blocked you.