How to Edit a YouTube Comment (Phone and Computer)

Spotted a typo after you hit Comment? You don't have to delete it and start again. YouTube lets you edit any comment you've written, on any device, for as long as the comment is still up. The trick is finding the menu, which hides until you hover or tap, and finding old comments when you can't remember which video they were on.

How to edit a YouTube comment on your phone

1. Open the video and scroll to the comments.
2. Find your comment and tap the three dots (More) next to it.
3. Tap Edit.
4. Make your changes and tap Save.

How to edit a YouTube comment on a computer

1. Go to the video and find your comment.
2. Point to the top right of your comment so the More menu appears.
3. Click More, then Edit.
4. Change the text and click Save.

The same menu gives you Delete if you'd rather remove the comment altogether.

Can't find your comment? Use Comment History

If you commented weeks ago and can't remember where, don't scroll through videos. YouTube keeps a list of your comments in your Comment History, which is reached through your Google account's YouTube activity. From there:

1. Open Comment History.
2. Click the video link next to the comment you want.
3. Select More next to your comment on the video page.
4. Choose Edit or Delete.

Comment History is also the fastest way to clean up after yourself. If you've changed your mind about something you said in public, you can work through the list in one sitting rather than remembering every video. It's worth a look once a year, especially if you use YouTube under your real name or your business name.

What you can and can't edit

Comment	Can you edit it?
Your own comment or reply	Yes, any time it's still posted
Someone else's comment on your video	No, but as the owner you can remove it
A comment that was removed	No, it's gone
A comment on a video where comments are now off	You won't be able to reach it from the video

YouTube says comments can be removed by the person who wrote them, by the channel owner or for breaking its policies. If your comment has vanished and you didn't delete it, one of the other two happened.

Make your edit look better: formatting tricks

While you're editing, you can tidy the comment up with YouTube's built-in formatting:

Type this	To get
*bold text*	Bold
_italic text_	Italics
-strikethrough text-	Strikethrough

Crossing out text is handy for editing in public. Rather than silently changing a claim people have already replied to, cross out the old bit and add the correction, so the replies still make sense. Any web address you add will also show as a link. If you comment from several phones, tablets and TVs, it's worth checking how to manage the devices signed in to YouTube, so every comment comes from an account you control.

Why the Edit option isn't there

• It's not your comment. You can only edit comments you wrote, on the account you wrote them with.
• You're signed in to a different account or channel. Switch accounts and look again.
• The owner has turned comments off or limited them. YouTube says owners can switch off comments, limit them to subscribers and members, or only let people comment once they've followed the channel for a set time.
• The video is private. Comments aren't available on private videos at all.

Does YouTube show that you edited a comment?

Yes. Once you save a change, YouTube marks the comment as edited, so people can see it isn't the original wording. Replies stay attached, which is why it matters what you change. Fixing a typo is fine. Rewriting the whole point after people have answered it makes the thread confusing, and it can look like you're hiding something. If you've changed your view, add a line at the end rather than replacing what you said.

The same goes for creators replying to viewers. If you get a fact wrong in a pinned comment, correct it openly. Viewers trust channels that own their mistakes far more than ones that quietly edit them away. If you want to tidy up how comments look in general, my guide to changing the YouTube layout covers the display settings.

Editing comments on your TV

YouTube also lets you comment from a TV, and once a comment is posted you can use your voice to edit or delete it straight from the TV. If that feels fiddly, open the YouTube app on your phone, signed in to the same account, and edit it there instead.

A quick note before you post

If you don't have a YouTube channel, posting your first comment creates one automatically under your name. That's normal, but it's worth checking which name and picture show publicly before you comment on anything sensitive. You can change both from your channel settings.

My verdict

Editing a YouTube comment takes seconds once you know the three dots appear on hover or tap. For older comments, go through Comment History rather than hunting video by video, and use strikethrough when you're correcting something people have already replied to.

If you want the full set, start at the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I edit a comment on YouTube?

Tap or hover over your comment, open the three-dot More menu, choose Edit, make your change and save.

Can you edit a YouTube comment after posting?

Yes. You can edit or delete any of your own comments as long as they're still posted.

How do I find my old YouTube comments?

Open your Comment History, click the video link next to the comment, then use More to edit or delete it.

Why can't I edit my YouTube comment?

You may be on a different account, comments may now be off or limited, or the comment may have been removed.