How to Turn Off Comments on a TikTok Video

Tired of wading through spam or negativity in your TikTok comments section? You can turn them off for any video, giving you complete control over the conversation. This guide will show you exactly how to disable comments on new or existing videos, manage your account-wide settings, and use comment filters for a more hands-off approach.

Why Would You Turn Off TikTok Comments?

While a bustling comment section is often a sign of high engagement, there are valid strategic reasons why a creator or brand might choose to disable them. It's not always about avoiding feedback, sometimes, it's about leading the conversation and protecting your community. Understanding the "why" can help you decide if it's the right move for your content.

1. To Create a Safer Space

The most common reason for turning off comments is to prevent negativity, harassment, or trolling. If a video touches on a sensitive or controversial topic, disabling comments can protect you, your subjects, and your audience from harmful interactions. It's a proactive step to maintain a positive environment around your content.

2. To Eliminate Spam and Bots

Few things derail a conversation faster than spam bots flooding your video with scammy links or repetitive messages. High-traffic videos are especially vulnerable. While TikTok has built-in spam filters, disabling comments altogether for a specific post is the only surefire way to prevent them from showing up.

3. To Direct Traffic to a Specific Call-to-Action (CTA)

If the sole purpose of your TikTok is to drive viewers to a link in your bio - perhaps for a product launch, a newsletter sign-up, or a new YouTube video - a comment section can be a distraction. By turning off comments, you remove one of the main things viewers can do on the video itself, making them more likely to take the one action you do want them to take: tapping that link.

4. To Stop the Spread of Misinformation

For educational or informational content, a comment section can sometimes become a breeding ground for misinformation. If you’re sharing data or complex information and don't have the bandwidth to moderate every incorrect claim, disabling comments can help you maintain the integrity of your message.

How to Turn Off Comments on a New TikTok Video (Before You Post)

The easiest way to manage comments is to set your preference before the video even goes live. This ensures the post is interaction-free from the moment you hit publish.

Just follow these simple steps:

1. Record or Upload Your Video: Create your content just as you normally would within the TikTok editor. Add your sounds, effects, and text.
2. Proceed to the 'Post' Screen: Once you're done editing, tap the 'Next' button to move to the final screen where you write your caption, add hashtags, and tag other accounts.
3. Tap 'More options': Below the settings for 'Who can watch this video' and just above the 'Post' button, you’ll see a menu item called 'More options'. Tap it.
4. Disable the Comment Toggle: On this screen, you’ll see several toggles. Find the one labeled 'Allow comments'. It will be on by default. Tap to switch it off (it will turn grey).
5. Post Your Video: Go back to the 'Post' screen and tap 'Post' to publish your video. The comment icon will now be grayed out, and no one will be able to leave a response.

How to Turn Off Comments on an Existing TikTok Video (After It's Published)

Changed your mind after a video has already been posted? No problem. Maybe a video is attracting unwanted attention, or you've decided you want to direct the conversation elsewhere. Here's how to disable comments on an existing TikTok post.

1. Go to the Video: Open your TikTok profile and tap on the video you want to edit.
2. Open the Menu: Tap the three horizontal dots (...) on the right-hand side of the screen to open the options menu.
3. Find 'Privacy settings': In the bottom row of icon options, swipe to the left until you see an icon of a lock labeled 'Privacy settings'. Tap this option.
4. Turn Off Comments: You’ll be taken to the privacy settings for that specific video. Find the 'Allow comments' toggle and switch it off.

That's it. All existing comments on that video will be hidden, and a "Comments are turned off" message will be displayed to anyone who tries to open the comment section. If you ever change your mind, you can just follow the same steps to turn them back on.

How to Turn Off Comments For ALL Your Future TikToks by Default

If you've decided to adopt a no-comment strategy across your entire account, manually disabling them for every new post is tedious. Instead, you can change your default account settings so that new uploads automatically have their comments turned off.

This is an advanced step for creators who have committed to managing their communities without public comments.

Here is how to set up account-wide settings for your comments sections:

1. Open Your Profile Settings: Go to your main profile page and tap the Hamburger icon at the top-right corner of the screen (☰). Select 'Settings and Privacy' from the menu that appears.
2. Go to 'Privacy': In the 'Account' section, tap the lock icon labeled 'Privacy'.
3. Find the "Comments" Setting: Scroll down to the 'Safety' section until you find the option labeled 'Comments'.
4. Select 'No one': You'll be given multiple options for who can comment on your videos:
   • Everyone (or Public)
   • Followers that you follow back
   • No one
   Select 'No One' to disable comments for all future videos. Every video you post will now have comments turned off by default.

The Benefits of a Global Setting

This method is great for brands or creators who have strict community guidelines or want to avoid any moderation burdens.

• Consistency: It ensures that your comments policy is consistent across all new content.
• Time-Saving: No more remembering to toggle off comments for every single post, it's done for you.
• Total Control: It sets a clear boundary for your community from the get-go, signaling that conversations happen elsewhere.

Note that changing this setting will not affect your existing videos. You'll still need to turn off the comments manually for anything you've already posted.

Alternatives to Completely Disabling Comments

Disabling comments can feel extreme, especially when you're trying to foster a community. If you want to maintain interaction while eliminating negativity or spam, TikTok offers several more nuanced options that give you control without silencing your audience.

Filtering Specific Keywords

This is one of the most powerful moderation tools at your disposal. You can create a list of words or phrases, and TikTok will automatically hide comments that contain them. This is perfect for removing common hate speech, promotions for competitors, or off-brand topics.

Think of it like a "personal spam filter." For example:

• A fitness coach might filter spammy keywords like "free fits" or "crypto" to keep comments relevant.
• A brand can filter out the names of all its competitors to keep the conversation focused.
• A creator can hide specific hateful words or slurs.

To set this up:

1. Go to your 'Settings and Privacy'.
2. Go to 'Privacy'.
3. Tap on "Comments" under 'Safety'.
4. Toggle on 'Filter Keywords' and add your list.

The comments won't be deleted, but they will be hidden from everyone but you.

Using TikTok's Built-in Spam and Offensive Comment Filter

TikTok's algorithm is getting better at detecting spammy and potentially harassing comments. By enabling the 'Filter Spam and Offensive Comments' setting (located in the same place as keyword filtering), TikTok automatically holds anything it determines to be suspicious. You can then review these hidden comments and approve or delete them. It's a low-effort moderation that works in the background.

Filtering All Comments So You Can Manually Approve Them

For even more control, you can choose the 'Filter All Comments' option. With this enabled, every single comment left on any of your videos will be hidden until you manually approve it. This turns your comment section from a public forum into a private moderation queue. This is popular for brands or high-profile accounts that need to ensure nothing undesirable goes live without their consent.

Restricting or Blocking Specific Users

If it's just one or two accounts causing problems, there's no need to disable comments entirely. You can simply block them from interacting with your content. When you block someone, they can no longer see your videos or leave comments.

To block someone:

1. Go to the user's profile.
2. Tap the three dots (...) at the top-right.
3. Select "Block" and confirm.

When to Disable and When to Engage: A Strategic Approach

Disabling comments is a tool, not an entire strategy. An active comment section is one of the biggest signals the algorithm looks at. Conversations mean engagement, and engagement means more reach.

When It Makes Sense to Turn Comments Off:

• Announcements with a Specific CTA: If the sole purpose of your video is to drive people to a link, like a launch or an event, disabling comments can eliminate distractions.
• Sensitive or Personal Content: Sharing personal stories, grief, or anything that makes you vulnerable is a good reason to protect yourself from unwanted judgment.
• Crisis or Community Management Backup: If a brand is in the middle of a crisis or dealing with a flood of negative comments, temporarily disabling comments can be a strategic move.

When It's Better to Moderate and Engage:

• Everyday Brand Content: If you're posting regular content aimed at building brand awareness or selling a product, you want an active comment section. Replying to questions, participating in conversations, and highlighting positive feedback can be powerful social proof.
• Community Building Videos: Videos that ask questions, polls, or start trends depend on participation. Turning off comments here would defeat their entire purpose.
• Content Where You Want Feedback: If you're launching a new product, asking for input on what to create next, or gauging interest in something new, the comment section is an invaluable market research tool.

Keep in mind that the comment section is a conversation with your audience. It's a place to build relationships, answer questions, and gather insights. While disabling them can protect you, using the filters and moderation tools is a great way to safeguard that space while still allowing for meaningful interaction.

Final Thoughts

Mastering when to turn off comments and when to engage is a critical skill for any TikTok creator. Whether you use a full block, selective filtering, or something in between, understanding how to use these tools gives you the control to create the community you want on your terms.

Learning to control your privacy settings is crucial, but the work doesn't stop there. For us, managing the conversations that do happen is just as important. We use Postbase's unified inbox to handle all our comments and DMs from TikTok and other platforms in one spot, which makes community management feel manageable and saves us from jumping between multiple apps.