GUIDES · October 7, 2026 · 7 min read
On this page
- Where is Hidden Words?
- What does the custom list catch?
- What does the built-in filter add?
- Where do hidden comments go?
- Does hiding a comment remove the like or the reply?
- Is filtering better than turning comments off?
- Does this work on old posts?
- How many terms should a list have?
- What about DM requests?
- FAQ
Instagram can filter comments before they reach you. Hidden Words holds a list of terms you never want to see, and any comment containing one drops into a separate folder instead of appearing under your post. To hide comments on Instagram, open Settings, then Hidden Words.
Where is Hidden Words?
Settings and privacy, then Hidden Words under the interaction controls. 2 things live there: your custom list, and a toggle that applies Instagram's own filter for commonly reported language. Both work on comments and on message requests, and neither notifies the person who wrote the thing.
What does the custom list catch?
Exactly what you put in it, plus near misses. Add a word, a phrase or an emoji, and Instagram hides any comment containing it. As of 2026 the filter also catches common misspellings: "scam" picks up "sc4m" and "scaam" without separate entries. The list is private and has no visible size limit for ordinary use.
Start with 10 to 20 terms rather than 200. Over-filtering hides ordinary conversation, and the folder of hidden comments becomes a chore nobody reviews.
What does the built-in filter add?
Instagram's own model hides language it classifies as offensive, without you naming a single term. The toggle is worth using on a public account, because no keyword list anticipates every insult, and the model updates without you editing anything.
| Control | Catches | You maintain it |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Hidden Words | Your exact terms and misspellings | Yes |
| Hide more comments | Instagram's own offensive-language model | No |
| Manual hiding | 1 comment at a time | Yes |
| Restrict a person | Everything from 1 account | Once |
Where do hidden comments go?
Into a Hidden Comments folder, reachable from the same Hidden Words screen and grouped by post. Instagram deletes nothing. You can open the folder whenever you like, read what was filtered, and unhide anything the filter caught by mistake — which happens often enough to be worth a monthly look.
The author sees their comment normally on their own screen. Nobody is told they were filtered, which is the same principle as what restricting does.
Does hiding a comment remove the like or the reply?
The comment leaves public view along with its thread, so replies under it go too. Likes on the hidden comment survive and stop being visible. Deleting is the harsher option: it removes the comment permanently with no undo. Hiding reverses in 2 taps.
Is filtering better than turning comments off?
Almost always. Comments off kills the reach signal that comments carry, and a post with 0 comments performs worse in ranking — the mechanics are in how the Instagram algorithm works. Filtering keeps the conversation and removes the part you did not want.
For a single persistent account, restricting beats both: their comments become visible only to them, with no notification and no public sign.
Does this work on old posts?
Yes, retroactively for the filter and not for the folder. Switching Hidden Words on hides matching comments across your existing posts, including ones from 2024. What it does not do is retrospectively populate the hidden folder with everything ever filtered before the setting existed.
How many terms should a list have?
20 to 40 for a busy public account, fewer for a personal one. The useful entries are the ones aimed at your situation: a seller's name that spam accounts copy, the 3 slurs that show up under any post with a face, the emoji a brigade has adopted this month. Generic lists copied from a blog catch little and hide a lot of ordinary speech.
Review the folder monthly for 5 minutes. A filter nobody audits drifts from protection into a quiet way of losing real replies, and the unhide button exists precisely for that.
What about DM requests?
The same list applies. A message request containing a hidden word lands in a filtered section of requests rather than your main inbox. It never marks itself as read — the receipts question is covered in does Instagram show when you read a DM.
FAQ
Where is Hidden Words on Instagram?
Settings and privacy, then Hidden Words. It covers comments and message requests.
Does the person know their comment was hidden?
No. They see their own comment normally and get no notification.
Where do hidden comments go?
Into a Hidden Comments folder grouped by post, where you can unhide any of them.
Is filtering better than turning comments off?
Usually. Comments off removes an engagement signal; filtering keeps the conversation.
the Stelvo Team
The people behind Stelvo — a privacy-first team writing honest guides on anonymous Instagram viewing, downloads, and staying invisible online.