Instagram is constantly evolving with new features and functions. Like most social networks, the platform allows users to interact with posts through likes and comments.
You can comment on your own and other people’s posts. Conversely, other Instagram users, including your followers, can comment on your videos, photos, reels, and Instagram stories, depending on your visibility and account settings. However, not all comments are desirable. As such, it’s important to know how to delete a comment on Instagram.
This guide will explore how to remove a comment on Instagram. Just note that you can only delete comments you and others made on your posts. You can also delete your comments on other people’s posts, but you cannot delete comments by others made on another user’s posts.
Reasons To Delete Comments On Instagram
Instagram has made it possible to delete comments to reduce harassment and protect the vulnerable from online abuse. The primary objective of allowing people to delete comments is to make everyone feel safe and comfortable while using the service, and to give people a chance to remove errors they themselves make.
So when should it be necessary for you to use this feature? Here are the top reasons you should know how to delete an Instagram comment:
Inappropriate Comments
The latest stats indicate that over 60.9% of Instagram users are young people aged 18 to 34. This age set is the most vulnerable to online abuse and cyber-bullying. Young people, particularly teenagers, can get anxious or depressed when they read negative comments about their physical appearance or choice of clothing. Additionally, content that promotes terrorism, hate speech, violence, racism, and substance abuse are inappropriate, since they violate the Instagram Community Guidelines. Deleting (and reporting) such comments is the only proper action to take.
Privacy Concerns
One of your followers may unknowingly disclose your personal information in their comments. Knowing how to delete comments on Instagram can help secure your confidential or sensitive data before the wrong people can access it.
Spam Content
You can become a victim of spam comments, especially if you’re a notable figure with many followers on Instagram. Although it is not wrong for young creators and upcoming online businesses to share links to their pages and websites on your posts through the comment section, some people go overboard.
They may spam your posts with numerous website links, cluttering your post or promoting actual spam. For example, some people use this method to generate traffic to insecure external websites. The best way to protect your followers from clicking these links is to delete the spam comments.
Legal Issues
Some comments may lead to legal issues. For instance, if your comment on someone’s post seems to defame them or demean their character, they can take legal action and start a lawsuit against you. Comments with false accusations also have the potential to cause legal issues if the person decides to go to court. Some comments might even infringe on intellectual property rights and land you in trouble with Instagram if the victim reports you.
Personal Preference
Sometimes you’ll want to know how to delete a comment on Instagram out of personal preference. Certain comments might be off-point or meaningless, adding no value to the conversation. Other times, the person who commented never intended the comment to be visible to others.
Removing the comment can help declutter your post. While Instagram allows users to limit who can like and comment on their posts, selecting individual followers can be tedious if you have a massive following. Deleting individual comments is a good idea if the rest are sensible and you don’t want to use the long route of turning off your comment section.
Mistaken Comments
Mistaken comments and typos are a widespread issue on most social media networks. Since Instagram does not allow people to edit their comments, you can only rectify your mistake by deleting the comment and writing it afresh to avoid confusion.
How To Remove Comments On Instagram
If you’re wondering, “How do I delete a comment on Instagram?” this section is for you. Instagram wants you to have a smooth and seamless experience when you are engaging your followers on your posts.
Deleting Instagram comments is straightforward. You can use your computer, Android, iPhone, mobile browser, or the Instagram Lite app. Here’s a breakdown of how to remove Instagram comments using various devices:
How To Delete Instagram Comment Using Your Computer
- Open your preferred web browser on your PC
- Enter www.instagram.com in the address bar
- Log into your Instagram account
- Find the post with the comment you want to delete
- Navigate to the comment you want to remove
- Hover your cursor over the comment
- Click the three eclipses (…) next to the comment
- Click delete
How To Delete Comments On Instagram On Your Android App
- Open the Instagram app on your Android device
- Log into your Instagram account
- Navigate to the post with the comment you want to delete
- Tap the comment icon below the post with the comment
- Scroll through the comments to find the comment you want to remove
- Tap the comment you want to delete
- Tap the trash icon to delete the comment
How To Delete Instagram Comments On Your iPhone App
- Open the Instagram app on your iPhone
- Log into your Instagram account
- Go to the post with the comment you want to delete
- Tap the comment icon below the post with the comment
- Alternatively, tap any comment
- Scroll through the comments to find the message you want to remove
- Swipe left over the comment you want to delete
- Tap the red trash icon to delete the comment
How To Delete An Instagram Comment On The Instagram Lite App
- Open the Instagram Lite app on your device
- Log into your Instagram account
- Navigate to the post with the comment you want to delete
- Tap the comment icon below the post with the message
- Find the comment you want to remove
- Tap the comment in question
- Tap Delete comment
How To Delete Comment On Instagram Using Your Mobile Browser
- Open your mobile browser
- Enter www.instagram.com in the address bar
- Log into your Instagram account
- Go to the post with the comment you want to delete
- Tap the comment icon below the post with the comment
- Tap and hold the comment you want to delete
- Tap the Delete prompt that appears on the screen to delete the comment
Note: If you delete a comment, it will remove likes and comments associated with it. Removing the comment will delete the entire thread under it as well.
FAQs
Is it okay to delete Instagram comments?
Whether or not it’s okay to delete Instagram comments depends on the context. If an Instagram comment on your post is abusive, racist, spammy, or salesy, you can proceed to delete it. Leaving harmful comments on your posts can adversely impact your brand or image.
Likewise, if you leave rude or offensive comments on someone else’s post, delete them to avoid violating Instagram’s community guidelines.
Should I delete negative comments from my Instagram posts?
Deleting negative comments from your Instagram posts is okay, especially if they are off-point or contain harmful statements directed at other users.
However, if the comments are genuine complaints or objective remarks, you can leave them on your posts. Removing the comments might be counterproductive, since it may appear to others you have something to hide. A suitable approach is engaging the person and genuinely determining how to address their issues.
Will Instagram notify my followers when I delete their comments from my posts?
Instagram does not notify your followers when you delete comments from your posts. The Instagram notification system tells users when someone likes or comments on their posts, and it also alerts them when they receive a reply to their comment. However, it won’t inform the user when you delete their comment. The only way the person can know is when they revisit your post.
Does deleting comments on Instagram impact engagement?
Deleting comments on Instagram might impact your engagement and post rankings. Instagram’s algorithm favors posts with more comments than likes and will rank them higher on the feed. Likes do not say much about an Instagram post, but a photo or video with more comments tells Instagram it has valuable content based on how people interact with it.
Does deleting an Instagram comment remove likes and replies?
Removing an Instagram comment also deletes likes and replies associated with it. Deleting a comment removes the entire thread.
If you remove a comment from an Instagram reel shared on Facebook, the comment will disappear from both apps.
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