How to Turn Off Filtered Comments on TikTok

Wondering why some comments on your TikTok videos seem to vanish into thin air? TikTok's comment filters are designed to protect you, but they can sometimes be a little too aggressive, hiding legitimate engagement from your biggest fans. This guide will walk you through exactly how to adjust or completely turn off those filters, giving you back full control over your comment section.

Understanding TikTok's Comment Filtering System

Before you start flipping switches, it's helpful to know what you're actually turning off. TikTok doesn't just have one big "on/off" button for comments. Instead, it uses a few layers of moderation to help creators maintain a positive and safe community. These tools are powerful, but they can sometimes misinterpret sarcasm or unique slang, causing them to hide comments you'd probably want to see.

Here's a quick breakdown of the main filters you can control:

• Filter All Comments: This is the most restrictive option. When enabled, every single comment on your videos is hidden from public view until you manually approve it. It's a great tool if you're dealing with a massive influx of comments or a targeted harassment campaign, but it's a lot of work to manage long-term.
• Filter Spam and Offensive Comments: This filter is on by default for most accounts and uses TikTok's AI to automatically detect and hide comments it thinks are spam, scams, or offensive. It's generally pretty smart, but it's not perfect. It can occasionally flag harmless comments, especially if they contain words the algorithm associates with negative behavior.
• Filter Keywords: This is your own custom-built filter. You can add a list of specific words and phrases you don't want to appear on your posts. Any comment containing one of your chosen keywords will be hidden until you review it. This is useful for blocking common spam topics, spoilers, or terms specific to your niche that you want to avoid.

How to Turn Off Filtered Comments on TikTok: A Step-by-Step Guide

Getting to your comment settings is easy. Follow these steps to find the right screen, and then you can decide exactly which filters to adjust.

1. Open the TikTok App and Go to Your Profile
   Launch TikTok and tap the Profile icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen.
2. Access the Settings Menu
   Tap the three horizontal lines (the "hamburger menu") in the top-right corner to open up your options. From the menu that appears at the bottom, select "Settings and privacy."
3. Navigate to Privacy Settings
   In the "Settings and privacy" menu, tap on the second option, "Privacy." This is where you'll find all the controls related to your account's visibility and interactions.
4. Select "Comments"
   Scroll down until you see the "Safety" section. Tap on "Comments" to open up all the comment-related controls. This is your mission control for managing your comment section.

Once you're on the Comments screen, you'll see all the filtering options we discussed earlier. Here's how to adjust each one to reduce or completely disable filtering.

Disabling the "Filter All Comments" Setting

If you have the "Filter All Comments" toggle turned on, no one but you can see any new comments. This is the simplest filter to turn off.

• Look for the "Filter All Comments" option.
• If the toggle switch is on (colored), simply tap it to turn it off (grayed out).

With this off, new comments will appear publicly on your videos according to your other filter settings.

Turning Off Automatic Spam and Offensive Comment Filtering

This is TikTok's main AI-powered filter. Turning it off means you're taking away the automatic safety net, so be prepared to see more junk.

• Find the "Filter Spam and Offensive Comments" toggle.
• Tap the switch to turn it off. TikTok might show you a pop-up warning, confirming that you understand the risk of seeing more spam or offensive content.

Many creators choose to leave this one on and instead rely on clearing out their keyword filter for more control.

Removing Your Custom Keyword Filter

If you've built up a list of keywords over time, this might be the reason why seemingly harmless comments are getting hidden.

• Tap on "Filter Keywords."
• You'll see a list of all the words and phrases you've added.
• To remove a word, tap the small "x" next to it. You'll have to do this for every word on the list to completely disable the filter.

Once you've removed all the keywords, this filter will no longer be active on your account.

Managing and Reviewing Filtered Comments

Before you decide to turn everything off, it's a good idea to see what your filters have actually been catching. TikTok gives you a chance to review all the comments that have been hidden, allowing you to approve them so they appear on your post or delete them for good.

On that same Comments settings page, look for a section called "Review filtered comments." Tapping on it will show you all the comments that were hidden by the "Filter All Comments," "Filter Spam and Offensive Comments," and "Filter Keywords" settings.

Here you can:

• Approve a comment: Tap the checkmark to make it visible to everyone. This also tells TikTok's algorithm that this type of comment is okay, which can help it learn over time.
• Delete a comment: Tap the trashcan icon to remove it permanently.
• Report a comment: If a comment violates TikTok's Community Guidelines, you can press and hold on it to bring up the report and block options.

Reviewing this section is a great practice. You might find that your filters are working perfectly, or you might discover they're hiding a ton of great comments from your community.

Should You Turn Off Your Comment Filters? The Pros and Cons

Deciding to go filter-free is a big step. For some creators, it promotes authenticity and transparency. For others, it's an open invitation for spam and negativity. There's no right answer for everyone, so consider the trade-offs before you make a decision.

The Case for Disabling Filters

• Get Raw, Unfiltered Feedback: You get to see everything your audience is saying, good or bad. This can provide valuable insights and help you build a more genuine connection with your followers.
• Avoid "False Positives": You won't have to worry about the algorithm mistakenly hiding supportive comments, inside jokes, or nuanced opinions.
• Increase Transparency: An open comment section can feel more authentic to your audience. It shows you trust your community and aren't afraid of criticism.
• Boost Perceived Engagement: When all comments are visible, your posts will appear more active, which can sometimes encourage more people to join the conversation.

The Risks of a Filter-Free Comment Section

• A Flood of Spam and Scams: Disabling filters almost guarantees you'll see an increase in bot accounts promoting "get rich quick" schemes or posting shady links.
• More Trolls and Negativity: You're lowering the barrier for bullies, trolls, and hate speech. This can harm your mental well-being and the atmosphere of your community.
• More Manual Moderation: Without filters, the responsibility of catching and deleting harmful comments falls entirely on you or your team. This takes time and energy.
• Brand Safety Concerns: For brands or creators with partnerships, an unfiltered comment section full of spam or offensive content can reflect poorly on their image.

For most creators, a balanced approach works best. Instead of turning everything off, you could disable the aggressive "Filter All Comments" setting but keep the "Filter Spam and Offensive Comments" setting on and be very selective about the keywords you add to your custom list.

Final Thoughts

Turning off TikTok's comment filters gives you complete control over the conversations happening on your content. Now you know how to access these settings, customize them to your liking, review comments that have been hidden, and weigh the benefits and risks of making a change. The perfect setup is one that protects your peace of mind while still letting your community's voice be heard.

As your account grows, manually moderating an unfiltered comment section can start to feel like a full-time job. We built Postbase to solve this very problem. Our unified inbox gathers your comments and DMs from TikTok, Instagram, and all your other platforms into one simple, clean dashboard. You can reply, resolve, and manage your community efficiently without having to jump between a dozen different apps. It makes community management feel manageable again, not overwhelming.