Why Turn Off YouTube Comments?
YouTube comments can be a double edged sword. While they drive engagement and community building, they can also attract spam, hate speech, and negativity that damages your brand or mental health. With over 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, comment moderation has become a full time job for many creators.
Common reasons creators disable YouTube comments include protecting children from inappropriate content (required by law for kids content), avoiding harassment during controversial topics, preventing spam and self promotion on educational content, and reducing the time spent moderating instead of creating.
Before disabling comments entirely, consider that YouTube's algorithm does factor engagement into recommendations. A video with active comments may perform better than one without. If spam or negativity is your concern, comment moderation tools (including holding comments for review or using AI filtering) might be a better middle ground than turning comments off completely.
Method 1: Turn Off Comments on a Single Video (Desktop)
Open YouTube Studio
Go to studio.youtube.com in your web browser and sign in with the Google account linked to your YouTube channel. YouTube Studio is the creator dashboard where you manage videos, analytics, and settings.
You can also access YouTube Studio by clicking your profile picture on YouTube and selecting YouTube Studio from the dropdown menu.
Click on Content
In the left sidebar menu, click Content. This displays all your uploaded videos, Shorts, and live streams in a list format. You can use the search bar or filters to find specific videos quickly.
Select the Video to Edit
Hover over the video where you want to disable comments. Click the pencil icon (Details) that appears. This opens the video editor page with all settings for that specific video.
Expand Show More
Scroll down on the video details page until you see Show More. Click it to reveal additional settings including tags, recording date, location, and most importantly, comment controls.
Change Comment Settings to Off
Find the Comments and ratings section. Click the dropdown menu which typically shows On by default. Select Disable comments from the options.
The other options are On (all comments visible), Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review, Hold all comments for review, and Disable comments.
Save Your Changes
Click the blue Save button in the top right corner of the page. The comment section will be immediately hidden from viewers. They will see Comments are turned off instead of the comment section.
Method 2: Turn Off Comments Using the YouTube Studio App (Mobile)
Open the YouTube Studio App
Download and open the YouTube Studio app (not the regular YouTube app) on your iOS or Android device. Sign in with your channel account.
Tap Content
Tap Content in the bottom navigation bar to see your uploaded videos.
Select Your Video
Tap on the video you want to edit. Then tap the pencil icon (Edit) at the top of the screen.
Go to More Options
Scroll down and tap More options, then tap Comments.
Select Off
Choose Off from the comment options to disable comments. Tap Save to confirm your changes.
Method 3: Turn Off Comments on Multiple Videos at Once
If you need to disable comments on many videos, YouTube Studio lets you edit multiple videos in bulk:
- Go to Content in YouTube Studio on desktop
- Check the boxes next to all videos you want to edit (or click the top checkbox to select all visible)
- Click Edit in the blue bar that appears at the top
- Select Comments from the dropdown menu
- Choose Disable comments and click Update videos
Warning
Bulk editing affects all selected videos immediately. Double check your selection before clicking Update. This action cannot be undone in bulk but you can re-enable comments later using the same process.
Method 4: Disable Comments on All Future Videos (Channel Default)
To automatically disable comments on all new videos you upload:
- Open YouTube Studio and click Settings in the bottom left
- Click Community in the left menu
- Click the Defaults tab at the top
- Under Comments on your new videos, select Disable comments
- Click Save to apply to all future uploads
This only affects videos uploaded after you change the setting. Existing videos keep their current comment settings and need to be edited individually or in bulk.
Comments on Made for Kids Content
Due to COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) regulations, YouTube automatically disables comments on all videos marked as Made for Kids. This is a legal requirement and cannot be overridden.
If your video is set as Made for Kids in the Audience section, comments are permanently disabled regardless of your comment settings. YouTube may also automatically detect and classify content as made for kids even if you did not mark it yourself.
For channels that primarily create kids content, consider using the YouTube Kids platform instead, which is designed specifically for younger audiences with enhanced safety features.
Alternatives to Turning Off Comments
Before completely disabling comments, consider these moderation options that preserve engagement while reducing negative content:
- Hold all comments for review — Every comment requires your approval before appearing publicly. Time consuming but gives complete control.
- Hold potentially inappropriate comments — YouTube's AI automatically holds suspicious comments for your review while letting safe comments through.
- Block specific words — In YouTube Studio Settings → Community → Automated Filters, add words or phrases to automatically hide comments containing them.
- Block links in comments — Prevent spam by blocking comments that contain URLs.
- Increase strictness — YouTube offers different moderation strictness levels. Higher strictness catches more potentially harmful content but may also catch innocent comments.
- Add moderators — Trusted community members can help moderate comments on your behalf. Add them in YouTube Studio Settings → Community.
Pro Tip
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off comments delete existing comments?
No, disabling comments does not delete existing comments. They are hidden but preserved in YouTube's system. If you turn comments back on later, all previous comments will reappear exactly as they were. This makes it safe to temporarily disable comments without losing engagement history.
Can I turn off comments on YouTube Shorts?
Yes, you can disable comments on YouTube Shorts using the same process as regular videos. Go to YouTube Studio, find the Short in your Content section, and change the comment settings to Off. The process is identical for Shorts, long form videos, and live streams.
Does turning off comments affect my video's ranking?
YouTube has stated that disabling comments does not directly hurt your video's search ranking or recommendations. However, comments drive engagement signals (time on page, return visits) which can indirectly help performance. If spam is your concern, consider moderation tools instead of disabling comments entirely.
Why are comments automatically disabled on some videos?
YouTube automatically disables comments on videos marked as Made for Kids due to COPPA child privacy regulations. This cannot be overridden. YouTube may also auto detect and classify content as kids content even without your input. Additionally, some videos may have comments disabled by YouTube if they violate community guidelines.
Can I turn off comments for my entire YouTube channel at once?
You can set a default to disable comments on all future uploads through YouTube Studio Settings → Community → Defaults. However, this only affects new videos uploaded after you change the setting. To disable comments on existing videos, you need to bulk edit them through the Content section.
Can viewers still see the comment section when comments are off?
When comments are disabled, viewers see a message saying Comments are turned off instead of the comment section. They cannot see any previous comments or leave new ones. The like and dislike buttons remain functional even with comments disabled.
Can I turn off comments but keep likes enabled?
Yes, disabling comments is separate from likes. When you turn off comments, viewers can still like or dislike your video. If you want to disable likes as well, that is a separate setting in the same Comments and ratings section.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
I cannot find the option to disable comments
Make sure you click Show More on the video details page to reveal additional settings. The Comments and ratings option is hidden by default. If you still do not see it, check if your video is marked as Made for Kids, which automatically disables comments without showing the option.
Comments are still showing after I disabled them
Make sure you clicked Save after changing the setting. YouTube also has some caching delay, so try refreshing the page or waiting a few minutes. Clear your browser cache if comments persist. The change should be immediate for new viewers.
I want to re-enable comments but old comments are gone
Old comments should reappear when you re-enable the comment section. If they do not, check if the comments were deleted (either by you, YouTube, or the commenters themselves) rather than just hidden. Disabling comments hides but preserves them. Deleting comments permanently removes them.
Related Guides
How to Manage YouTube Comments
Complete guide to YouTube comment moderation including holding for review, blocking words, adding moderators, and using automated filters.
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