How to Enable Comments on YouTube Shorts

Comments on your YouTube Shorts can be a goldmine for engagement, but it's frustrating when you post a video and realize the comment section is mysteriously grayed out. The good news is that this is almost always an easy fix. This guide will walk you through exactly why your comments might be disabled and provide step-by-step instructions to turn them back on from both your computer and your phone.

Why Are My YouTube Shorts Comments Turned Off? A Few Common Reasons

You didn't accidentally break YouTube. Usually, when comments are disabled on Shorts, it's due to one of three specific settings. Understanding them is the first step to fixing the problem for good.

1. Your Channel or Video is Set as "Made for Kids"

This is, by far, the most common reason comments are shut down. Due to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), YouTube has strict rules for content designated for children. To comply with these regulations, YouTube automatically disables features that collect personal data on "Made for Kids" content. This includes personalized ads, push notifications, and, you guessed it, comments.

You might have accidentally marked a single Short as "Made for Kids" during the upload process, or your entire channel might be set to this category by default. If your content isn't specifically and primarily aimed at a young audience, you'll want to change this setting to get your comment section back online.

2. Your Default Channel-Wide Comment Settings

YouTube gives creators control over how comments are handled across their entire channel. It's possible that your default setting is set to "Disable comments" or "Hold all comments for review," and that applies to every new video you upload, including Shorts. This is a quick settings adjustment in your YouTube Studio dashboard.

3. Video-Specific Comment Settings Were Changed

Sometimes, the issue isn't channel-wide. You might have mistakenly disabled comments on a single Short. This can happen easily in the flurry of uploading, especially if you're experimenting with different settings. Luckily, this is the simplest fix and can be done in just a few clicks for the specific video in question.

How to Enable Comments on YouTube Shorts: The Step-by-Step Guide

Let's get those comment sections active again. Here’s how to enable them on both desktop and mobile, along with instructions for changing your channel's default settings so you don't have this problem in the future.

On a Desktop Computer (Using YouTube Studio)

The YouTube Studio on your desktop offers the most comprehensive set of tools for managing your channel. It's the best place to make both video-specific and channel-wide changes.

Enabling Comments on an Individual Short:

1. Log in to your YouTube account and go to YouTube Studio (you can find this by clicking your profile icon in the top-right corner).
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on "Content."
3. Find the Short you want to edit. You can use the filter tool to show only Shorts if needed. Click on the video's thumbnail or title to open its details page.
4. Scroll down to the bottom and click on "SHOW MORE."
5. Keep scrolling down until you find the "Comments and ratings" section. You'll see a dropdown menu.
6. Click the dropdown menu and select "Allow all comments," "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review," or "Hold all comments for review." For most creators, "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review" is the best option - it lets conversations flow while automatically filtering out most spam and trolling.
7. Click the blue "SAVE" button in the top-right corner. Your comments should now be enabled!

Changing Your Channel's Default Comment Settings:

If you find that all your new Shorts have comments turned off, your default upload settings are likely the culprit. Changing this will save you a lot of time.

1. In YouTube Studio, click on "Settings" in the bottom-left corner of the navigation menu.
2. A pop-up window will appear. Go to the "Upload defaults" tab.
3. Click on the "Advanced settings" section.
4. Scroll down to the "Comments" section.
5. From the dropdown menu, select your preferred setting (again, "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review" is a strong choice).
6. Press "SAVE" in the bottom-right corner. All your future uploads will now use this setting.

On a Mobile Device (Using the YouTube or YouTube Studio App)

Since most Shorts are created and uploaded from a phone, it makes sense that you'd want to manage them from there, too.

Using the YouTube Studio App:

The Studio app is the most effective way to manage your video settings on the go.

1. Open the YouTube Studio app on your phone.
2. Tap the "Content" tab from the bottom navigation menu.
3. Find and tap on the Short you need to edit.
4. Tap the pencil icon at the top of the screen to edit the video's details.
5. Tap on "More options" (Tags, category, comments &, more) at the bottom of the screen.
6. Scroll down to the "Comments" section. You'll see an option for "Comment visibility." Tap on it.
7. Choose your desired setting (e.g., "Allow all comments" or "Hold potentially inappropriate for review").
8. Go back one screen and tap "Save" in the top-right corner. You're all set!

The "Made for Kids" Issue: How to Fix It for Good

If you've tried the steps above and your comments are still disabled, the "Made for Kids" designation is almost certainly the reason.

Remember, this setting isn't just a simple label. It legally reclassifies your video under COPPA, forcing YouTube to restrict features. This is a critical setting to get right, not just for comments but for your channel's monetization and feature eligibility.

Changing the "Made for Kids" Setting on a Single Short:

1. Go to YouTube Studio (on desktop or the Studio app).
2. Navigate to "Content" and select the Short you want to fix.
3. In the video details, scroll down to the "Audience" section. This is usually right below the description box.
4. You'll be asked, "Is this video made for kids?" Make sure you have selected "No, it's not made for kids."
5. Once you select "No," the comment settings further down the page should become available again. Double-check them to make sure they're enabled.
6. Click "SAVE."

Changing the "Made for Kids" Setting Channel-Wide:

To avoid this in the future, set your entire channel's audience correctly.

1. In YouTube Studio, go to "Settings."
2. Choose the "Channel" tab.
3. Click on "Advanced settings."
4. The first thing you'll see is the "Audience" section. Choose the second option: "No, set this channel as not made for kids. I never upload content that's made for kids." If your content is genuinely not for children, this setting will prevent YouTube from defaulting your Shorts to the wrong category.
5. Hit "SAVE." This setting will apply to all your future uploads. Existing videos will need to be changed manually.

Beyond Simply Enabling: Managing Comments for Growth

Turning on your comments is the first step. The next is using them to grow your brand and community. An active comment section isn't just a vanity metric, it's a powerful signal to the YouTube algorithm that people are engaging with your content.

Best Practices for Comment Moderation

• Reply to a few comments on every Short. Even a simple "Thanks!" or a heart can make a viewer feel seen and encourage others to participate.
• Pin a high-quality comment. Found a particularly funny, insightful, or positive comment? Pin it to the top. This sets the tone for the entire conversation.
• Ask questions in your Shorts. End your video with a simple question related to the content, like "Have you ever tried this?" or "What should I do next?" This prompts viewers to head straight to the comments.
• Use Moderation Tools. In your YouTube Studio settings (Community >, Automated Filters), you can add a list of blocked words. This is great for filtering out spam links, profanity, or topics you don't want to be discussed on your channel.

Comments are free audience research. They tell you what viewers loved, what confused them, and what they want to see more of. Mining your comment section for ideas is one of the most organic ways to shape a content strategy that truly resonates with the people you're trying to reach.

Final Thoughts

An active comment section turns your YouTube Shorts from a simple broadcast into a thriving two-way conversation. Correcting the "Made for Kids" setting and adjusting your channel's comment defaults are simple, one-time fixes that solve the problem for nearly every creator out there and pave the way for deeper audience engagement.

Once you have comments flowing in, managing all that new engagement across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram can quickly become a handful. At Postbase, we built our platform with a unified engagement inbox from day one because we've lived that chaos. It pulls all your comments and DMs from every platform into one clean feed, so you can stop jumping between apps and focus on building your community without missing a single conversation.