Comments are an important part of the Facebook experience, but what happens when you realize you've made a mistake and posted something you shouldn't have or someone replies rudely to one of your posts? Fortunately, you can easily delete your own comments, although the same doesn't always apply to comments from other Facebook users. This tutorial details all your options while also showing you how to quickly remove comments and reactions from Facebook.
How to remove or edit your comments on Facebook
There are many reasons why someone might want to delete their Facebook comments. Perhaps you have realized that your observation has been misinterpreted and you wish to prevent it from turning into an avalanche. Or maybe you have received a lot of negative responses to something you said and would like to remove the entire thread. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to delete one (or more) of your comments, we show you how to do it below.
On the desktop
On the desktop, you can delete a comment you posted in response to someone else's post by following these simple steps:
- Find the comment you want to delete.
- Hover over it until the three dots icon appears on the right.
- Click on it to view a variety of options.
- Select "Delete".
- A window will appear asking you to confirm that you want to delete the comment. Select "Delete" again.
- Alternatively, if you want to edit your post, select the other option.
The comment should now be deleted. The same method can be applied if the comment was posted on your wall or someone else's. If you have commented in a Facebook group, the method is the same, although you will have more options, with "Delete" at the bottom. The “Edit” option is also available from the same menu.
Please note: : If you decide to delete a post / comment that has many replies, please note that they will all be deleted along with the main post.
On the phone
On mobile, things aren't much different when it comes to deleting one of your comments. Here's how it's done:
- Identify the comment you want to delete.
- Press and hold it until a menu appears at the bottom.
- Select "Delete".
- Again, you will be asked to confirm your decision, so hit "Delete" again to continue with the process.
- From the same menu, you can choose “Edit”, which will allow you to review your comment and apply the desired changes.
How to bulk delete your comments on Facebook
Do you want to delete multiple comments at once? Facebook allows you to do this through the Activity section. Here's what to do if you want to do some comment cleanup.
On the desktop
- Open Facebook in your browser, then click the down arrow in the upper right corner of the display.
- Select "Settings and Privacy" from the dropdown menu that appears.
- Click on "Settings".
- Select the "Your Facebook Info" option from the menu on the left side of the display.
- Find the “Activity Log” section on the right and press “View”.
- Click on “Comments”.
- You will be directed to an overview of all the comments you have written on the platform since you signed up with Facebook.
- From this page you can delete all the comments you wish to remove by simply checking the "All" box at the top, then clicking on the three dots next to the first comment (or any comment, for that matter) and pressing "Delete." "
- If you only want to delete some comments, simply select the ones you want to delete, then follow the instructions above in step 8.
On the phone
- On mobile, open Facebook, then tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to the bottom and tap "Settings and Privacy".
- Select "Settings".
- Scroll down until you find the 'Your Information' section and select 'Activity Log'.
- You will notice a list of labels below the welcome message. Scroll down to find "Your Comments" and tap on it.
- This will bring up the list of all your comments, just like on the desktop.
- Even if you don't have an option to delete all comments in the mobile app, you can still quickly delete comments by pressing on the three dots next to a comment and selecting the “Delete” option.
This will save you the time you would otherwise spend searching for your comments. This way you can delete comments all in one place.
How to delete other people's comments on Facebook
When it comes to what other people are commenting on, things are a little more complicated. Facebook allows you to delete their comments if and only if they are replies to your posts.
While it may sound tempting, you can't go around deleting random Facebook comments. Below, learn how to remove someone's comment from your posts.
On the desktop
- To delete someone else's comment on your post, select the three dots on the right side of the comment.
- Click "Delete" from the drop-down menu.
Note : None of these comments can be edited. Your only options are to delete them or leave them as is.
The same procedure applies to a comment posted in a Facebook group or on a page you manage. As an admin, you will be able to remove comments that you think are out of line with the group / page guidelines.
On the phone
- On mobile, find the comment you want to delete.
- Long tap it until you see a menu at the bottom.
- Select "Delete".
Alternatives to deleting other people's comments on Facebook
Report the comment
While it's not possible to delete other people's comments on Facebook in most cases, you can report those you believe may violate Meta's guidelines for fair behavior on the social app. You can report a comment for various reasons, including:
- Nudity
- Violence
- Molestie
- False information
- Hate speech
- And more
You can report comments on Facebook both via the mobile app and on the desktop. To do this, follow the exact steps we outlined in section one and select the “Give feedback or report this comment” option.
Select the reason you are reporting the comment, then wait for your report to be analyzed by someone on Facebook. If your request is approved, the comment in question will be removed.
Hide comments
While it's not possible to delete other people's comments on Facebook, you can still hide them. Out of sight, out of mind right? Here's how to do it.
- Find the comment you want to delete.
- Hover over it until three dots appear on the right.
- Click on the three dots to display a series of options.
- Select "Hide Comment" on the desktop. On mobile devices, long-tap the comment you're trying to hide to reveal a series of options from below.
- Tap "Hide Comment".
Note: If you do this, it doesn't mean that all of this person's comments will be removed from your view. Only the comment you have chosen to hide will be hidden.
How to remove your likes from Facebook posts
Likes are a basic form of communication on Facebook. They are used to easily signal interest or appreciation for a post or comment. But if you want to get your "like" back, here's what to do.
- Identify the post you liked.
- Click the Like button again and the Like will disappear.
- Alternatively you can go to the “Activity Log” once again (as shown above) but this time select Interactions from the menu on the right.
- Find the Like you want to get rid of and click on the three dots next to it and hit on Different.
- On mobile, you need to tap the Like to remove it.
- Alternatively, tap the “Likes & Reactions” label in the “Activity Log”.
- Find the Like in question and tap on the three dots next to it, then choose "I don't like".
How to delete or change your reactions on Facebook posts
Reactions are another way to communicate on Facebook. They are useful when you find that you don't have much to say in response to a post, but would still like to show your appreciation (or other general feelings).
If you'd like to delete or change your reaction to a post or comment, here's how you can do it.
- Find a reaction you want to delete or edit.
- Click on your current reaction to delete it.
- On the other hand, if you wish to change it, you have to hover over your current reaction (next to “Comments”) and select a more appropriate one.
- On mobile devices, the approach is the same, although instead of swiping the reaction, you just have to long-tap it to see the other reaction options.
It should also be noted that it is not possible to remove other people's reactions from posts or comments. If you are the admin of a group / page you can go ahead and remove someone's entire post but not people's individual reactions to that particular post.
How to get rid of your reactions to Facebook Stories
You can comment (this will have the effect of automatically sending them a message) as well as reacting to Facebook Stories. If you feel the need to take back something you said or your reaction to a particular story, here's how to do it.
Note: you cannot delete a reaction directly from the Stories; instead, you'll have to go through the Activities tab again.
On the desktop
- Go to the “Activity Log” following the steps described above.
- Select the "Stories activity" option.
- You will be directed to a list of all your recent reactions.
- Just like before, click on the three dots next to a reaction, then select “Remove reaction”.
- That's all. Your reaction will no longer be visible to the creator of the Story.
On the phone
- Go to the “Activity Log” again.
- Tap the “Story Activity” label.
- Click on the three dots next to an entry and select "Remove Reaction" from the bottom.
- The reaction will be removed and the original Story poster will no longer be able to see it.
How to get rid of other people's likes and reactions on your posts
Surprisingly, Facebook doesn't allow you to remove other people's likes or reactions on your posts or stories. However, if you want to prevent others from seeing who liked your posts, do the following:
- Completely delete the post or comment as shown above.
- Change the audience of the post to "Only me" by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of your post. Select "Edit post" and click the "Public" button under your name. Select "Only me" from the options presented to you.
- Delete and repost by deleting the comment or post, then reposting it.
