How to Hide a Comment on Instagram (and Who Still Sees It)

Hiding a comment is the quiet option. The comment stays put, the person who wrote it still sees it, but nobody else scrolling your post does. That's why I like it for the awkward stuff: a rude reply, a spammy link, a comment from someone you'd rather not start a row with.

Steps to hide one comment on your post

1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android phone. Instagram's help page says manual hiding is done in the mobile app.
2. Go to your own post or reel and open the comments.
3. Find the comment you want gone from public view.
4. Tap Hide under the comment.

That's it. There's no confirmation message to the other person and no notification. As far as they're concerned, their comment is still sitting there.

Who can still see a hidden comment

This is the bit most people get wrong, so here's what Instagram's help centre says:

Person	Can they see the hidden comment?
You (the post owner)	Yes, under View hidden comments
The person who wrote it	Yes, and they won't see that it's been hidden
Everyone else	No

One more catch: hidden comments are still included in your total comment count. So if a post says it has a dozen comments and people can only see nine, that's why. It doesn't matter for most accounts, but it's worth knowing if you're tidying up a post you're proud of.

You can't hide comments on someone else's post

Instagram is clear that you can only manually hide comments under your own posts. If someone's left a nasty reply on a friend's photo, your options are limited to reporting it or asking your friend to deal with it. You can delete a comment on another person's post only if you wrote it yourself.

How to unhide a comment

1. Open the post in the mobile app.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the comment section and tap View hidden comments.
3. Tap Unhide under the comment you want back.

It reappears for everyone straight away. This is the big advantage over deleting: hiding is reversible, deleting isn't.

Hide, delete or restrict: which one to use

Option	What happens	Best when
Hide	Comment disappears for everyone except you and the writer	You want it gone quietly and might change your mind
Delete	Comment is removed from your post	It's spam or abuse and you don't want it anywhere
Restrict the person	Their new comments are only visible to them until you approve them	One person keeps commenting and you don't want to block them

Deleting is simple: tap Comments, tap and hold the comment, then tap Delete. On your own posts you can delete anyone's comments. Restricting is the one I'd reach for when it's the same person every time, because it handles all their future comments without you lifting a finger. Instagram also says you won't get notifications for their future comments, which is a relief if they're relentless.

Hiding comments automatically before you see them

If you're hiding the same sort of comment again and again, let Instagram do it. There are two settings worth knowing, both under Settings, then How others can interact with you, then Hidden Words.

• Hide unwanted comments. This automatically hides comments with common offensive words, phrases or emojis. Instagram says it's on by default, so check it hasn't been switched off.
• Custom words and phrases. Add your own list of words, phrases, numbers or emojis. Anything matching is hidden from comments on your posts. Separate each entry with a comma.

The custom list is brilliant for businesses. Add the names of rival products, the phrases spam bots use, or words that keep turning up in nasty replies. I'd rather spend five minutes on that list than hide comments one by one for months.

Limit who can comment in the first place

By default, everyone can comment on your posts and stories. If the problem is strangers, change it in Settings under How others can interact with you, then Comments. You can allow comments from people you follow, your followers, or both, or switch comments off altogether. If your account's private, the choices are your followers or followers you follow back.

For a business account I wouldn't switch comments off entirely. Comments are one of the signals that help a post travel, which matters if you're trying to grow followers without posting every day. Filter the rubbish, keep the conversation.

When hiding isn't enough

Hiding a comment doesn't stop someone following you or messaging you. If one person is the problem, restrict or block them. And it's worth checking who's been following you recently, because a wave of spam comments often lines up with a wave of new bot followers.

My advice

Hide first, delete later. Hiding gives you breathing space: the comment's out of sight, nobody's been told off, and you can change your mind. If it's spam, delete it. If it's the same person every week, restrict them. And if you're hiding the same words over and over, put them in your Hidden Words list and let Instagram take the strain.

Frequently asked questions

Does the person know when you hide their Instagram comment?

No. Instagram says the commenter won't be able to see that their comment has been hidden. They still see it on your post as normal.

Can I hide a comment on someone else's Instagram post?

No. You can only manually hide comments under your own posts. On other people's posts you can only delete comments you wrote.

Can I hide comments on Instagram from a computer?

Manual hiding is done in the mobile app on iPhone or Android, according to Instagram's help centre. On the web you can manage your Hidden Words list.

Do hidden comments still count on Instagram?

Yes. Hidden comments are still included in your total comment count, even though most people can't see them.

How do I see hidden comments on my Instagram post?

Open the post, scroll to the bottom of the comments and tap View hidden comments. You can tap Unhide to bring one back.