How to Turn Off Comments on Instagram Live

Going live on Instagram is one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience in real time, but a chaotic or spam-filled comment section can quickly derail the entire experience. Knowing how to manage your comments gives you full control over the tone and focus of your broadcast. This guide will walk you through exactly how to turn off comments on your Instagram Live - before you start or right in the middle of a stream - and explore smarter alternatives for managing the conversation.

Why Turn Off Comments on Instagram Live?

Disabling comments might seem counterintuitive for an engagement-focused platform, but there are several strategic reasons why it can be the right move. It’s not about silencing your audience, it’s about curating a specific type of experience for both you and your viewers.

1. To Minimize All Distractions

Sometimes, the goal of a live session is pure, uninterrupted delivery. If you're hosting a guided meditation, teaching a complex skill, performing a new song, or delivering an important prepared statement, a constant stream of comments can be incredibly distracting. Reading and reacting to comments pulls your focus away from the main content. Turning them off temporarily allows you to stay in the zone and give your audience your undivided attention, resulting in a higher-quality broadcast for everyone watching.

Example: A yoga instructor leading a live class doesn’t want to be interrupted by questions about their yoga mat mid-pose. Disabling comments allows for a seamless, immersive flow.

2. To Prevent Unwanted Spam And Trolls

Unfortunately, public forums attract trolls and spammers. If your account has a large following or if you're discussing a sensitive or controversial topic, your comment section can quickly flood with negativity, off-topic spam, or hateful messages. This not only distracts you but also creates a negative environment for your genuine followers. Shutting down comments is a proactive way to maintain a safe and positive space, protecting both your mental energy and your community's viewing experience.

Example: A non-profit organization going live about a sensitive social issue may turn comments off to prevent hate speech and ensure their message is heard without disruption.

3. To Host a Structured Q&,A Session

A free-for-all comment feed is a messy way to handle questions. Important queries get buried, and you end up answering the same thing multiple times. A better approach is to ask your audience for questions beforehand using Instagram's question sticker in your Stories. During the Live, you can display these pre-submitted questions on the screen and answer them one by one. Turning off real-time comments allows you to focus exclusively on these curated questions, leading to a much more organized, valuable, and efficient Q&,A session.

Example: An author doing a live Q&,A about their new book can gather the most interesting questions from their Stories ahead of time, ensuring a focused and thoughtful discussion instead of a reactive one.

4. To Create a "Broadcast-Only" Experience

Not every Instagram Live has to be a two-way conversation. Think of it more like a broadcast or a stage performance. For a live concert, a behind-the-scenes tour, a keynote speech, or a product launch reveal, the audience's role is to watch and absorb. Turning off comments reinforces this format, encouraging viewers to simply enjoy the content you’re providing without the pressure or distraction of participating in a live chat.

Example: A fashion brand revealing its new collection live from the runway wants the focus to be entirely on the clothes, not on viewer comments.

How to Turn Off Comments Before Starting Your Instagram Live

If you've already decided that you want a comment-free session from the very beginning, setting it up in advance is easy. This ensures that from the moment your broadcast starts, viewers will not see the option to comment.

Follow these simple steps:

1. Open Instagram: Launch the app and tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen, or swipe right from your home feed to open the camera.
2. Select "Live": At the bottom of the screen, swipe through the options (Post, Story, Reels) until you land on Live.
3. Find the Settings Menu: On the left-hand side of the Live screen, you'll see a vertical menu with a few icons. Tap the Settings icon (it looks like a gear or cog).
4. Go to Comments Settings: In the "Live Settings" menu, tap on "Comments".
5. Turn Off Commenting: You will see a toggle switch labeled "Turn Off Commenting." Tap this switch to turn it on (it will usually turn blue). A message will confirm that comments will be off for your viewers.
6. Go Back and Start Your Live: Tap the arrow at the top-left to go back to the Live screen. Add a title if you wish, and then tap the button to start your broadcast. You are now live, and the comment section will be completely disabled.

How to Turn Off Comments While You Are Already Live

Sometimes you don't realize you need to disable comments until you're already in the middle of your broadcast. Maybe the conversation took an unexpected turn, trolls showed up, or you're just getting too distracted. Thankfully, Instagram lets you moderate comments in real time.

Here’s how to do it mid-stream:

1. Locate the Comment Box: While you're live, look at the bottom of your screen where comments would normally appear. Tap on the comment entry field where it says "Comment."
2. Tap the Three-Dot Icon: Next to the comment field, you'll see a three-dot icon (...). Tap it to open a small menu of moderation options.
3. Select "Turn Off Commenting": From the menu that pops up, simply tap "Turn Off Commenting." Immediately, the comment feed and the option for new viewers to comment will disappear.

Want to turn them back on? No problem. Just repeat the steps. Tap the three-dot icon (...) again and choose "Turn On Commenting" to bring the chat function back at any time. This flexibility is great for turning comments off during a specific segment and re-enabling them later for a Q&,A session.

Smarter Ways to Manage Comments Without Turning Them Off Completely

Completely disabling comments is effective, but it's a blunt tool. It shuts down all interaction, both good and bad. If your goal is more nuanced - like weeding out spam without sacrificing community engagement - there are better, more sophisticated options you should consider first.

1. Use Hidden Words and Comment Filters

Instagram's built-in filtering feature is your first line of defense. It automatically hides comments containing offensive words, phrases, and emojis. You can also create your own custom list of words or phrases you don't want to see. This is incredibly effective at preemptively blocking common spam or troll talking points without your direct involvement during your Live.

• How to set it up: Go to your Instagram profile >, Settings and privacy >, Hidden Words. From here, you can manage offensive word lists and add your own custom phrases to filter out.

2. Appoint a Live Moderator

For brands and creators who go live regularly, having a moderator is a game-changer. You can assign a trusted account to help manage your Live for you. During the broadcast, your moderator can report abusive comments, turn off comments for specific viewers, or even remove harassing viewers from the stream entirely. This frees you up to focus on your content while someone else handles the policing.

• How to assign one: While you are live, find the moderator's comment or username in the viewer list. Tap their handle, and you'll see an option to "Add as Moderator."

3. Pin a Key Comment

Instead of battling a chaotic feed, you can guide the conversation by pinning a single comment to the top of the chat. This could be a comment that asks a specific question, outlines the ground rules for the chat ("Please keep questions on-topic!"), or shares an important link. This sets the tone and gives the audience a focal point, often steering the conversation in a more productive direction.

• How to do it: Find the comment you want to feature, tap and hold on it, and then select "Pin Comment."

Does Turning Off Comments Hurt Your Engagement?

In short, yes, it can. Comments are a primary signal of engagement to the Instagram algorithm. When they're turned off, you are removing a key way for viewers to participate. This might make your Live feel less interactive and could even limit its reach, as the algorithm may view it as less engaging content. But context matters. If disabling comments allows you to deliver a better, more focused presentation, the long-term benefit of that high-quality content can easily outweigh the short-term dip in live interaction metrics.

If you decide to turn them off, mitigate the potential negative impact by:

• Communicating to your audience: Start your Live by saying, "Hey everyone! I'll be turning comments off for the main part of this tutorial to stay focused, but I'll turn them back on for questions at the end." This heads off any feelings of being ignored.
• Directing them elsewhere: Encourage viewers to engage in other ways. "If you have questions after this, drop them in the comments of my latest post" or "Send me a DM!" This keeps the conversation going on your own terms.
• Making the content undeniable: When the content is compelling, exclusive, or highly valuable, audiences won't mind the lack of a chat. Focus on making the broadcast itself so good that no one misses the comments.

Final Thoughts

Managing comments on your Instagram Live gives you the power to create the safe, focused, and productive broadcast you want, whether that means turning them off entirely, filtering them with keywords, or bringing on a moderator to help. By using these tools thoughtfully, you can protect your energy and ensure your audience gets the best possible experience, tailored to the specific goal of your live stream.

That kind of proactive management is a crucial piece of building a strong social media presence. At Postbase, we understand that juggling live events, follower comments, and a content schedule can feel overwhelming. We've focused on building a simple, modern platform that handles all the behind-the-scenes work, from seeing your entire content strategy on a visual calendar to managing all your comments and DMs from every platform in a single inbox. We designed Postbase to make social media management feel less chaotic so you can focus on creating great content - like your next amazing Live.