How to Turn Off Limited Comments on TikTok

Seeing that dreaded Comments are limited message on your TikTok video can feel like a handbrake on your engagement. You’ve created something you're proud of, and now you want to hear what your community thinks, but for some reason, the conversation has been cut short. This guide will walk you through exactly why your comments are limited and show you step-by-step how to turn the Limited mode off, whether it’s for a single video or your entire account.

What "Limited Comments" Actually Means on TikTok

First, let's establish what "Limited" status on your comment section is. When your comments are limited, it doesn't mean they're turned off completely. Instead, it restricts who is allowed to comment on your videos. Typically, this setting allows only your mutuals - your friends, or followers that you also follow back - to leave a comment. Everyone else can watch your video, but the comment box will be restricted for them.

Why does TikTok do this? It's largely a protective measure. TikTok has a handful of automated safety features designed to protect its community, especially younger users or accounts that experience sudden, unusual activity. If its algorithm detects a potential risk for spam, harassment, or bullying, it might proactively limit comments as a safeguard. This is why sometimes the setting can appear even if you didn't deliberately enable it yourself.

How to Turn Off Limited Comments on Any TikTok Video: Your Step-by-Step Guide

The solution to opening your comments back up usually falls into one of two categories: you either need to adjust your account's global comment settings or tweak the settings on an individual video. Let’s cover both, starting with the most common fix.

Method 1: Change Your Account-Wide Comment Privacy Settings

Your profile has a main setting that dictates how comments will work by default for every new video you upload. If this got changed accidentally or was set to a more restrictive option by default (common for new accounts or younger users), it’s the first place you should check. Fixing it here will apply the change to all future uploads.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Your Profile: Launch the TikTok app and tap the Profile icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Access Settings: Tap the hamburger menu (the three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner to open the menu. Select 'Settings and privacy.'
3. Go to Privacy Settings: From this menu, tap on the 'Privacy' option.
4. Find the Comment Controls: Scroll down until you find the "Interactions" section. Tap on 'Comments.'

Inside the Comments menu, you'll see a few options that define who can comment on your new videos:

• Everyone: Anyone on TikTok can comment on your videos (as long as your account is public). This is the setting you want if your goal is maximum engagement.
• Followers You Follow Back: This is the "Limited" mode. Only users who you follow and who also follow you back can comment.
• No one: This turns off comments completely for all new videos.

To turn off limited comments and open up the conversation, simply select 'Everyone.' Now, any new video you post will use this setting as the default.

Method 2: Change the Comment Settings on an Existing Video

What if your account-wide settings are already set to "Everyone," but an older video still shows "Limited Comments"? It’s possible that particular video's privacy settings were an exception. Luckily, you can change this without having to delete and re-upload your content.

Follow these steps to change the settings for a video that's already posted:

1. Go to the Video: Navigate to your profile and find the specific TikTok you want to fix.
2. Open the Video Options: Tap the three-dots icon (...) on the right-hand side of the screen. This will bring up a menu of options for that video.
3. Adjust Privacy Settings: Swipe left on the bottom row of icons until you find 'Privacy settings.' Tap it.
4. Turn On All Comments: Here, you will see a toggle for 'Allow comments.' Make sure this toggle is turned ON (it should appear green). Toggling this setting on directs the video to follow your account-wide preferences. If the video still shows "Limited Comments," double-check the account-wide settings explained in Method 1, as they serve as the master control for all your videos.

Toggling 'Allow comments' on for a post will default to your account-wide setting, so as long as you've set that to 'Everyone,' this will open your comments back up.

Troubleshooting: What to Do If Your Comments Are Still Limited

Sometimes, you can follow all the steps perfectly and still find that pesky "Limited Comments" message. This is frustrating but usually points to one of two things: a platform-side safeguard or a minor app glitch.

TikTok's Automated Safety System

For certain accounts, especially those registered to users under the age of 16, TikTok automatically enforces stricter privacy settings as a part of its youth protection policies. Users aged 13-15 have accounts that are private by default, and their comment settings are more restricted. For these accounts, the 'Everyone' option is not available, they can only choose between 'Friends' ('Mutuals you follow back') or 'No one.'

Similarly, if your video suddenly gets a massive influx of views and comments, or if the algorithm detects that many of the comments are spam or violate community guidelines, it may temporarily limit your comment section to prevent harassment. In this case, the limitation is often temporary and might resolve itself after some time has passed and the activity has stabilized.

App Glitches and How to Solve Them

Sometimes, the problem isn't a setting at all, but a simple app bug. Before getting too frustrated, try these two quick fixes:

• Clear Your TikTok Cache: Go to 'Settings and privacy,' scroll down to 'Cache & cellular,' and tap 'Free up space.' Here, you can clear your cache. This won’t delete your drafts or content, but can resolve a lot of strange app behaviors.
• Update the App: Make sure your TikTok app is updated to the latest version. Head over to the App Store or Google Play Store and check for an update. Running an old version can lead to compatibility issues with newer features and settings.

A Better Approach? Using Comment Filters Instead of Limitations

If your end goal is to manage your comment section and keep it positive - not necessarily to limit a healthy discussion - closing it off to everyone except your mutuals might not be the most effective strategy. A better method is to keep comments open to everyone and use TikTok's powerful filtering tools to maintain control.

This allows new followers and potential fans to engage with you, which is great for growth, while also protecting your mental health and brand image.

How to Set Up Custom Keyword Filters

You can create a list of words or phrases that you want automatically hidden from your comment section. Anyone can comment, but if they use one of your filtered words, the comment won't be visible to others unless you manually approve it.

1. Navigate back to 'Settings and privacy' > 'Privacy' > 'Comments.'
2. Toggle on 'Filter keywords.'
3. Tap 'Add keywords' and type in any words or phrases you want to filter out. This can include spam terms ("follow for follow"), offensive language, or just words related to topics you don't want to discuss.

How to Review All Comments Before They Go Live

For ultimate control, you can enable a setting that forces every single comment to wait for your approval before it's visible to the public.

• In that same 'Comments' menu, you'll find a toggle labeled 'Filter all comments.'
• When you turn this on, all new comments on your videos will be sent to a review queue.
• You can then go through and approve the comments you want to appear and delete the ones you don't.

Using filters gives you the best of both worlds: It maximizes your potential for community engagement while still empowering you to control the conversation.

Final Thoughts

In most cases, turning off limited comments on TikTok is a straightforward fix tucked away in your privacy settings, either for your whole account or for a specific video. By switching your default preferences to allow everyone to comment and using filters to manage the conversation, you can foster a lively, engaged community without sacrificing control.

Once you’ve opened up the floodgates and those comments start pouring in across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, keeping up can be a full-time job. We built Postbase to solve that chaos. Our unified inbox pulls all of your comments and DMs from every platform into one clean view, so you can reply to everyone without switching apps and never miss another important conversation. It's a simple change that makes managing your community finally feel manageable.