How to Edit a Comment on Facebook (Phone and Computer Steps)

We've all hit Enter and spotted the typo a second later. Or you've posted a reply under a customer's question and realised the link you meant to include isn't there. On Facebook you don't have to delete and start again, because you can edit the comment you wrote.

Below are the steps from Facebook's help centre for a computer and for Android and iPhone, plus a few honest notes on what the help centre doesn't tell you, so you don't build a plan around something Facebook hasn't promised.

Editing your own Facebook comment on a computer

When you use Facebook in a browser, the help centre's steps are:

1. Open the post that contains your comment.
2. Click Options next to the comment you'd like to edit. It appears when you hover over the comment.
3. Select Edit.
4. Make your changes.
5. Press Enter or Return to save, or press Esc to cancel.

That last step is the one to remember. There's no Save button in the box. Pressing Enter saves your change, and pressing Esc backs out without changing anything, which is handy if you open the editor by mistake.

Editing your own Facebook comment on Android or iPhone

On both phones, the help centre words the steps the same way:

1. Tap the post that contains your comment.
2. Tap and hold the comment.
3. Select Edit.
4. Make your changes, then tap Update.

On a phone you get a button called Update, not a keystroke. Wait for the comment to refresh before you close the post, so you know the change went through.

What you can and can't edit on a Facebook comment

Facebook's article covers editing the words of a comment you've posted below a post. It doesn't list every limitation. In particular, the help centre doesn't say whether an edited comment carries a visible label, whether other people can see the earlier version, or how long after posting you can still make changes.

Because the help centre doesn't say, I won't either. If it matters to you, such as a comment with a corrected detail or a deadline for a customer, I'd write a short new reply underneath instead of relying on an edit. That way everyone can see the correction.

Editing someone else's Facebook comment

You can edit only comments you wrote. If a comment under your own post is wrong or rude, you can't change the words, but you can hide it or delete it. Facebook's help centre says that when you hide a comment on a post on your profile, it stays visible to the person who wrote it and their friends but is hidden from everyone else, and when you delete one it's removed from the post.

For the full steps on both, my guide to finding older and archived Facebook posts may help if the post has moved out of sight, and Facebook's own article on hiding or deleting comments covers the rest.

Edit, delete or hide a Facebook comment: which to use

What you want	What to do	Who it works on
Fix a typo or add a missing word	Edit	Comments you wrote
Remove your comment completely	Delete	Comments you wrote
Quietly get rid of a rude reply on your post	Hide or delete	Comments on your own posts

The delete option for your own comment sits right next to Edit. On a computer it's under Options, and on a phone it's in the same tap-and-hold menu. I'd go for an edit whenever the idea is right but the wording isn't, because a deleted comment takes its replies and likes away with it.

Editing a Facebook comment in a group

Comments in groups are comments below a post like any other, so the same Options and tap-and-hold menus apply when you're looking at the post. Facebook has a separate help article about deleting your posts and comments in a group, which uses your activity log. It's built for deleting, not editing, so if you want to change the wording, go to the post itself and edit it there.

If you're taking part in groups to meet potential customers, take a look at my list of Facebook groups for marketers, where a well-edited comment is often the first thing people see from you.

Editing a Facebook comment you made as your Page

If you comment as your Page, the Page's name shows next to your words instead of your own. Facebook's article on editing comments is written for comments you've posted below a post, and I haven't read a separate set of steps for Page comments. The menus I'd expect to find are the same Options or tap-and-hold ones, but don't take that as official guidance.

A safe habit for business accounts: before you reply as your Page, check which profile or Page is selected. It's easy to answer as the wrong one, and the help article doesn't mention changing who a comment came from after posting.

Writing a Facebook comment you won't need to edit

• Read it once before you post, especially names, dates and links.
• Keep replies short. Long comments hide typos.
• Paste links into the comment box and check the preview.
• If you're replying for a business, reread the tone as a stranger would.

That's just good habit, not a Facebook rule, but it saves a surprising amount of tidying.

If you can't find Edit on a Facebook comment

• Check the comment is yours. Edit only shows for your own comments.
• On a computer, hover over the comment so the Options control appears.
• On a phone, tap and hold the comment itself, not the post.
• Update the Facebook app, close it and open it again.
• Try a different browser if you're using a computer.

If the option's still missing, Facebook says you can report a problem from the app by shaking your phone, or by going to Help and support on a computer.

This guide is part of my Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I edit a comment on Facebook on a computer?

Click Options next to your comment, select Edit, make your changes, then press Enter or Return to save, or Esc to cancel.

How do I edit a comment on Facebook on my phone?

Tap the post, tap and hold your comment, select Edit, make your changes and tap Update.

Can I edit someone else's Facebook comment?

No. You can only edit comments you wrote. On your own posts you can hide or delete other people's comments instead.

Will people know I edited my Facebook comment?

Facebook's help article doesn't say, so I can't confirm it either way. If it matters, add a new reply that states the correction.

Can I delete a comment instead of editing it?

Yes. The same help article covers deleting your comment, using the Delete option next to Edit.