To delete your own comment, swipe left on it and tap the bin icon on iPhone, or press and hold it and tap the bin on Android. On your own posts you can delete anyone's comment the same way, or tap Manage to select several and delete them together. You can't delete someone else's comment on someone else's post; you can only report it.
The thing most people don't know: deleting is permanent. There's no undo, no bin to restore from and no 'are you sure' second chance once it's gone. The person who wrote it isn't told you removed it, but they may already have seen their own comment in notifications, so deleting doesn't make it as if it never happened. If you're unsure, hiding or restricting is the softer option, and I cover both further down.
Delete a comment you wrote
This works on your own posts and on anyone else's post where you've left a comment.
- Open the post and tap the speech bubble to see the comments.
- Find your comment.
- On iPhone, swipe left across it. On Android, press and hold it until a bar of icons appears at the top.
- Tap the bin (trash) icon.
- The comment disappears straight away. Instagram may show a short message at the bottom of the screen; that's confirmation, not an undo button you can rely on.
Want to tidy up comments you left months ago? You don't need to hunt for each post. Go to your profile, open the menu (three lines), tap Your activity, then Comments. You'll see a list of comments you've made. Tap Select, tick the ones you want gone, and tap Delete. If a menu name looks different in your version, search the settings for 'Your activity'.
Delete comments people leave on your posts
You're in charge of the comment section under your own posts and Reels, so you can remove anyone's comment there, not only your own.
One comment at a time
- Open your post and tap the comments.
- Swipe left on the comment (iPhone) or press and hold it (Android).
- Tap the bin icon to delete it. On the same menu you'll also see options to report, and on newer versions to hide or restrict the account.
Several comments at once with Manage
When a post attracts a pile-on or a run of spam, deleting one by one is slow. The bulk route is quicker.
- Open the comments on your post.
- Tap the three dots at the top of the comments screen, then tap Manage (on some versions Manage shows on its own).
- Tap the comments you want to remove. A tick appears on each one.
- Tap Delete at the bottom to remove them all, or tap More options to restrict or block the accounts behind them.
- Repeat if there are more. Instagram lets you select up to 25 comments at a time, according to its Help Center.
What you can and can't do, by situation
| Situation | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Your own comment, anywhere | Delete it (swipe or press and hold), or delete in bulk from Your activity > Comments |
| Someone's comment on your post | Delete it, hide it, restrict the person, or report it |
| Someone's comment on someone else's post | You can't delete it. Report it if it breaks the rules, or ask the account owner |
| A flood of comments after a post goes wide | Use Manage to select and delete in batches, then turn on Limits for a while |
| The same rude word or phrase again and again | Add it to Hidden words so new comments with it are filtered automatically |
That third row trips people up. If a stranger says something nasty about you under a friend's photo, the delete button belongs to your friend, not you. A quick, calm message asking them to remove it usually works faster than a report.
Softer tools: hide, restrict and Limits
Deleting is the right move for spam, scams and abuse. For everything in between, Instagram has three tools that stop the problem repeating without starting a public row. They're also less likely to provoke the 'why did you delete my comment' reaction.
Hidden words
Hidden words filters comments that contain words, phrases or emoji you choose, plus a built-in list of offensive terms. Filtered comments go into a separate hidden section that you can review, and other people don't see them on your post. Find it in Settings under Hidden words. This is the one I'd set up first if the same insult or spam phrase keeps coming back, because it works across all your posts at once.
Restrict
Restrict is for one person you don't want to block outright, such as a colleague, an ex or a relative. Once you restrict someone, their new comments on your posts are only visible to them unless you approve them. They don't get told they're restricted, which keeps things calm. You can restrict someone from the comment menu, from their profile, or from the Manage screen.
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Limits
Limits is a short-term shield for when a post suddenly gets attention from strangers. It temporarily hides comments and message requests from accounts that don't follow you or that only followed you recently. Turn it on, let things settle, then turn it off again. If you can't see it, search the settings for 'Limits'.
| Tool | Best for | Does the other person know? |
|---|---|---|
| Delete | Spam, scams, abuse, mistakes | Not told, but may have seen it already |
| Hidden words | Repeated words or phrases from anyone | No |
| Restrict | One person you'd rather not block | No |
| Limits | A sudden wave from strangers | No |
A few things worth knowing before you delete
- Screenshots exist. If a comment was abusive and you might need to report it later, take a screenshot first. Once it's deleted, you can't get it back to show anyone.
- Pinned comments count too. If you delete a comment you'd pinned, the pin goes with it. You can pin a different one afterwards; here's how to pin a comment on Instagram.
- Tags in comments. Deleting a comment where you tagged someone removes the tag from that comment too. If you only wanted to change who you tagged, delete and post a fresh comment; this guide shows how to tag someone in a comment.
- Editing has a short window. Instagram now lets you edit your own comment for a short time after you post it (press and hold or swipe on it, then Edit). After that, fixing a typo means deleting it and commenting again.
- Turning comments off. When you're posting, or later from the three dots on the post, you can turn off commenting for that one post. It stops new comments while you tidy up, and you can turn it back on whenever you like.
If you manage TikTok as well, the steps there are close but not identical; I've written up how to delete comments on TikTok separately.
What I'd do
If it were my account, I'd delete spam and abuse straight away and set up Hidden words once, so I'm not doing the same job every week. For people who are rude but not dangerous, I'd restrict rather than delete; it ends the argument without giving them a reaction to screenshot.
Frequently asked questions
Does Instagram tell someone when you delete their comment?
No. Instagram doesn't send a notification when you delete someone's comment on your post. They may notice it's gone if they go back to the post, and they may already have seen it in their own notifications.
Can I get a deleted Instagram comment back?
No. Deleting a comment is permanent and there's no recycle bin for comments. If you might need it as evidence, take a screenshot before you delete it.
How many comments can I delete at once?
On your own posts you can tap Manage and select comments in batches. Instagram's Help Center says you can select up to 25 at a time, then repeat for the next batch.
Why can't I delete a comment on someone else's post?
Only the person who wrote a comment and the owner of the post can delete it. If someone else's comment on someone else's post breaks the rules, report it, or ask the post owner to remove it.
