How to Delete a Comment on Instagram

Or edit the Instagram comment to fix a typo

by
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson
Writer
Dave Johnson has been writing about tech since 1990. He's the author of over 2 dozen books and his writing has appeared in Wired, PCWorld, Business Insider, and many other publications.
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Dave Johnson
Updated on October 20, 2020
reviewed by
Jerrick Leger headshot
Jerrick Leger
Lifewire Tech Review Board Member
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
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Article reviewed on Feb 01, 2021
Jerrick Leger

What to Know

  • Swipe left and tap the Trash icon (iPhone), tap and hold until you can tap the Trash icon (Android), or click the three dots > Delete (web).
  • You can delete your own comments or comments left on your posts by someone else.
  • You can't edit comments, but you can delete a comment and then replace it with a new one.

This article explains how to delete an Instagram comment on an iPhone, Android, or web browser.

How to Delete an Instagram Comment on Your Phone

 Whether you post a comment you later want to retract or someone leaves a comment you want to remove from your own post, it's easy to delete comments on Instagram.

Just remember these rules: You can only delete your own comments or comments left on a post you own. You can't delete comments from other people on a post that doesn't belong to you.

  1. Open Instagram on your phone and find the post with the comment you want to delete. 

  2. Tap the comment bubble icon to see all the comments associated with this post.

  3. On the iPhone, swipe the comment to the left and tap the Trash can icon.

    On Android, tap and hold the comment until the pop-up bar appears at the top of the screen, and then tap the Trash can icon. 

    Steps to take to delete a comment on the Instagram mobile app.

How to Delete an Instagram Comment in a Web Browser

If you're using a web browser instead of a the Instagram mobile app, you can still delete unwanted comments with just a few clicks.

  1. Open Instagram in a web browser and find the post with the comment you want to remove.

  2. Click the post to see it pop up in a window with all the associated comments.

  3. Hover your mouse pointer over the comment you want to remove, and then click the three dots to the right of the comment. 

    The comment action button an Instagram post in a web browser.

  4. In the pop-up window, click Delete.

    The Delete pop-up for comments in Instagram in a browser.

Can You Edit a Comment on Instagram?

Unfortunately, Instagram does not allow you to edit comments, even if they're your own.

There is a workaround, though: You can simply replace the comment with a new one. This isn't necessarily ideal, especially if your comment already had other replies or a lot of likes. Deleting a comment removes all likes and replies associated with it.

If you are okay with that compromise, follow the instructions above to find and delete the comment you want to edit. Delete it, and then add a new comment to the post with the edits you were planning to make. 

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