How to Enable Comments on a TikTok Video

Turning off TikTok comments can feel like closing the door on your community. If you've accidentally disabled them or can't figure out why the conversation has stopped, you're in the right place. This guide walks you through exactly how to enable comments on your videos, from brand new posts to old classics, and gives you the tools to manage your comment section like a true social media pro.

Why Comments Are More Than Just Numbers

Before we get into the technical steps, let’s talk about why your comment section is such a powerful asset. Comments aren’t just about vanity metrics, they are the lifeblood of a healthy, growing TikTok account. Every time someone leaves a comment, they send a strong signal to the TikTok algorithm that your content is engaging and worth showing to more people. Conversations in the comments can dramatically increase your video's reach.

More importantly, your comments section is a direct line to your audience. It's where you can:

• Build a Community: Genuine interaction transforms passive viewers into loyal fans. Replying to comments shows there's a real person behind the account who values their audience.
• Get Ideas for New Content: Are people asking the same questions over and over? That’s your next video idea. TikTok’s “Reply with video” feature is a goldmine for creating content you know your audience wants to see.
• Gather Real-Time Feedback: Find out what your audience loves, what they don't, and what they want more of. This is free market research that brands spend thousands of dollars to acquire.
• Humanize Your Brand: Whether you're a small business or a personal brand, the comment section is where your personality can shine. Witty replies, helpful answers, and genuine gratitude go a long way in building brand affinity.

How to Enable Comments on a New TikTok Video

Let's start with the most common scenario: you're uploading a new video and want to make sure the comments are turned on from the very beginning. TikTok usually has this enabled by default, but it's always good to double-check before you hit "Post."

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Start Your Post: Open the TikTok app and tap the big plus icon (+) at the bottom to start creating a new video. You can record something fresh or upload a video from your camera roll.
2. Edit Your Video: Once you have your video, add your magic touch. This is where you can trim clips, add sounds, apply effects, and overlay text. When you're happy with your masterpiece, tap Next.
3. Arrive at the Post Screen: This is your final pre-flight checklist. Here, you’ll write your caption, add relevant hashtags, tag people, add a location, and - most importantly - check your comment settings.
4. Find "Allow Comments": Scroll down slightly on the post screen. You will see a list of toggles for different settings. Look for the option that says "Allow comments".
5. Check the Toggle: Make sure the switch next to "Allow comments" is toggled ON. It should be colored (usually green or blue, depending on your phone) to indicate it's active. If it's greyed out, just tap it to switch it on.
6. Post Your Video: Once you’ve confirmed that comments are enabled, finish setting up your post and tap the Post button. Your video will go live with comments fully activated, ready for engagement.

How to Enable or Disable Comments on an Existing Video

Ever posted a video and realized later that the comments were turned off? Or maybe a video is attracting unwanted attention, and you want to temporarily disable them. No problem. You have full control over a video's comment settings even after it's live.

Follow these simple steps to change the settings on any existing video:

1. Go to Your Profile: Open TikTok and tap the "Profile" icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Find the Right Video: Scroll through your grid of published videos and tap on the one you want to edit.
3. Open the Options Menu: With the video playing, look for the three dots (...) on the right side of the screen. Tap this icon to open the sharing and options menu.
4. Navigate to Privacy Settings: In the bottom row of icons that appears, swipe from right to left until you find an icon that looks like a lock labeled "Privacy settings." Tap it.
5. Turn Comments On or Off: You'll now see the settings specific to this video. The first option at the top will be "Allow comments." Tap the toggle next to it to switch comments ON (colored) or OFF (grey).

The change is instant. As soon as you toggle it on, people will be able to comment on the video. If you toggle it off, the comment section will disappear from that video for everyone.

Advanced Control: Getting Granular with Your Comment Settings

Beyond a simple on/off switch, TikTok provides a powerful suite of tools to help you manage your comment section and cultivate a positive community. These account-wide settings can save you a lot of time and help you maintain brand safety. You can find them by going to your Profile > Menu (three lines) > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Comments.

Let’s look at your options.

Choosing Who Can Comment on Your Videos

You can set a default for all your future videos, deciding which groups of people are allowed to leave comments. Under the "Comments" tab in your privacy settings, you'll see a section called "Who can comment on your videos and Stories." You have three main options:

• Everyone: This is the best option for growth. Anyone on TikTok can comment on your videos, which maximizes your potential for engagement and reach. This is the recommended setting for most brands, creators, and businesses.
• Followers that you follow back: This significantly restricts your comment section to mutuals - people you follow who also follow you. This is a good option for personal accounts or those who want an extra layer of privacy.
• No one: This setting turns off comments across your entire account by default. You can still enable them on an individual video-by-video basis using the method in the previous section.

Filtering Comments for a Safer Community

Managing a comment section isn't just about reading the good stuff, it's about protecting your community (and your mental health) from spam, negativity, and inappropriate content. TikTok's filters are your best ally here.

Filter Offensive Content & Spam

This setting is enabled by default and uses TikTok's AI to automatically hide comments that it deems offensive, spammy, or related to advertising. It's highly recommended to keep this turned on, as it's a great first line of defense against low-quality comments.

Filter Keywords

This is your most powerful tool for comment moderation. Toggling this on lets you create a custom list of words and phrases. Any comment containing a word from your list will be automatically hidden and will need your manual approval before it can be seen by anyone else. This is incredibly useful for:

• Brand Safety: Add offensive terms or slurs to your list.
• Blocking Spam: Filter out common spam phrases like "follow me," "check my link," or "link in bio."
• Preventing Negativity: If you're running a campaign, you can temporarily filter out keywords that might be associated with a negative response.
• Hiding Competitor Mentions: Some brands choose to filter out the names of their direct competitors to keep the conversation focused.

Filter All Comments

For those who want absolute control, you can enable the "Filter all comments" option. When this is on, no comment will appear on your videos until you have personally reviewed and approved it. This can be great for accounts dealing with sensitive topics or brands that have very strict communication policies. However, be warned: this is extremely time-consuming and can slow down the natural flow of conversation that makes TikTok so dynamic.

Troubleshooting: "My Comments are On, but Still Not Working"

Sometimes you’ve done everything right, but things still aren't working as they should. If you've enabled comments but they are still not appearing, here are a few things to check:

• Your Account-Wide Privacy Settings: Remember the default settings we just covered? Double-check them. If you set "No one" as the default audience for comments, you'll need to enable them manually on every single video you post.
• Your Comment Filters: Is it possible you have "Filter all comments" turned on? If so, no comments will show up until you go into your moderation queue and approve them. Found here: Settings and privacy > Privacy > Comments > Review filtered comments.
• Update the App: Tech issues can sometimes be solved by the oldest trick in the book: making sure your TikTok app is updated to the latest version. Head to your phone's app store to see if an update is available.
• A Temporary Glitch: On rare occasions, TikTok itself might have a temporary bug. Logging out of your account, restarting your phone, and logging back in can sometimes clear up these kinds of issues.

Final Thoughts

Enabling and managing comments on TikTok is a straightforward process that gives you complete control over your community engagement. From a simple on/off switch for individual videos to powerful keyword filters for your entire account, these tools are designed to help you foster positive, productive conversations.

Actively managing those conversations across multiple platforms is where the real work begins. We built Postbase with a unified social inbox because we know how overwhelming it can be jumping between apps trying to reply to every TikTok comment, Instagram DM, and Facebook post. Having all your notifications in one clean feed lets you engage with your community faster and makes sure you never miss an important message again.