Can I delete a Facebook comment I made?

Yes, you can delete comments you have made on Facebook. There are a few different ways to delete Facebook comments depending on where the comment was made.

Deleting Comments on Your Own Post

If you made a comment on your own Facebook post, you can easily delete it by following these steps:

Go to the post where you made the comment.

Hover over the comment and click the “X” icon that appears in the top right corner.
Click “Delete” to confirm you want to delete the comment.

The comment will be immediately removed from the post. Other people who can view the post will no longer see the deleted comment.

Deleting Comments on Someone Else’s Post

To delete a comment made on someone else’s Facebook post:

Go to the post where you made the comment.
Hover over the comment and click the drop down arrow that appears in the top right corner.

Select “Delete Comment” from the dropdown menu.
Confirm you want to delete the comment by clicking “Delete.”

The comment will be removed right away so it is no longer visible to anyone who can see the post.

Deleting Comments on Facebook Pages

If you made a comment on a Facebook Page, follow these steps to delete it:

Go to the Page post where you left the comment.
Hover over your comment and click the “X” icon.

Click “Delete” to confirm.

The comment will be immediately deleted from the Page post.

Deleting Comments on Facebook Groups

To remove a comment made in a Facebook Group:

Go to the Group and locate the post where you made the comment.
Hover over your comment and click the drop down arrow.
Select “Delete comment” from the menu.

Confirm you want to delete the comment.

This will instantly delete your comment from the Group post.

How Long Does it Take for a Deleted Comment to Disappear?

When you delete a Facebook comment using any of the above methods, it is removed immediately from public view. Other users will not be able to see the deleted comment.

However, deleting a Facebook comment does not permanently erase it from existence. The comment may still be stored in Facebook’s server logs. The deleted comment could also remain in the caches of search engines and be displayed in search results for a short time until the caches are refreshed.

So while deleting a comment instantly removes it as far as other users are concerned, traces of the deleted comment could linger for a bit longer behind the scenes. But it will become completely inaccessible to others usually within a day or two at most.

Who Can See My Deleted Facebook Comments?

When you delete a Facebook comment, it is removed from public view and most other users will not be able to see it. However, there are a few exceptions:

Facebook admin/moderators may be able to access deleted comments in certain cases.
If another user quoted your comment before you deleted it, the quote may still be visible.
Deleted comments may be visible if the post or comment was linked to by an external site.

People who are tagged in the deleted comment may still be able to see it.
If the comment was screenshotted before being deleted, the screenshot could still be circulated.

In most cases though, deleting a comment removes it entirely from public view. Only in special cases as outlined above could traces of the deleted comment potentially remain visible.

Can You Recover a Deleted Facebook Comment?

Unfortunately there is no native Facebook function that allows you to recover deleted comments. Once you confirm deletion of a comment, it is permanently removed from Facebook’s public records.

However, there are a couple potential ways you may be able to recover the text of a deleted Facebook comment:

If you have an external notification of the comment such as an email or phone alert, it may contain the text.

You may be able to find the comment text in your browser history if it was cached.
Facebook analyzes content for security purposes before deletion, so you could try submitting a request to Facebook to manually review log data. But there is no guarantee they would share it.

Unfortunately no method provides a surefire way to recover a deleted Facebook comment. Going forward, you may want to consider copying or taking screenshots of comments you think you may want a record of before deletion.

Can You Undo an Accidental Comment Deletion?

If you accidentally delete a Facebook comment you wanted to keep, there is unfortunately no “undo” option. Once you confirm deletion of a comment, it is gone for good from public view.

Your only option is to try reposting a new comment with the same text. But there will be no way to get the exact same deleted comment back. Any likes, replies, and timestamps will be reset.

To avoid accidentally deleting comments you want to keep, it’s best to double check which comment you are deleting before confirming. Taking an extra moment to verify can prevent regrettable deletions.

Does Deleting a Comment Also Delete Replies to that Comment?

When you delete your original Facebook comment, any replies made to that comment will also be deleted at the same time. Deleting the parent comment removes the entire threaded reply chain.

However, if someone replies to an original comment and then you delete your reply, the original comment will not be deleted. Only direct replies to a deleted comment are removed from view.

Can You Delete Comments Made by Other Users on Your Posts?

Posts made on your personal Facebook profile allow you to delete comments made by others. To delete someone else’s comment on your post:

Click the “X” icon in the top right corner of the comment.
Select “Delete comment” from the dropdown menu.
Confirm deletion by clicking “Yes, delete.”

The comment will be immediately removed from your post. However, be cautious about arbitrarily deleting others’ comments as that could be seen as suppressing their voice.

Can Facebook Page Admins Delete Comments?

If you are an admin of a Facebook Page, you have the ability to delete comments made by others on your Page’s posts. To do so:

Hover over the comment and click the drop down arrow.

Choose “Delete comment” from the menu.
Confirm you want to delete the comment.

The comment will be removed from public view on your Page. Page admins should use discretion in deleting comments to avoid seeming heavy-handed.

Can Facebook Group Admins or Moderators Delete Comments?

Administrators and moderators of Facebook Groups can remove comments published by others in the Group. To delete another member’s comment:

Hover over the comment and click the drop down arrow.
Select “Delete comment” from the menu.

Click “Delete” to confirm.

The comment will be immediately deleted. Group admins should exercise good judgment when deleting comments to maintain a positive community.

Can You Report a Comment Instead of Deleting?

Instead of deleting a comment yourself, you have the option to report it to Facebook for review. Facebook may choose to delete comments that violate its Community Standards.

To report a Facebook comment:

Click the “X” icon at the top right of the comment.
Select “Report post or comment” from the menu.

Choose a reason for reporting the comment.
Click “Report Comment.”

Facebook will review the reported comment and take action if it finds the comment to be objectionable.

Pros of Deleting Facebook Comments

Here are some potential benefits of deleting Facebook comments:

Removes impulsive, emotional or argumentative comments you regret making.
Eliminates comments that share unintended private or embarrassing information.

Deletes comments that receive strong negative reactions or backlash from others.
Takes down comments that spread misinformation or are factually incorrect.
Allows you to curate the conversation and your public profile.

Cons of Deleting Facebook Comments

Some downsides of deleting Facebook comments include:

The deleted comment could already have been seen by many people.
It could appear like you are trying to hide something.

Replies to the deleted comment will also be removed.
It could disrupt the flow of a conversation thread.
Others may have quoted or screenshotted the comment before it was deleted.

Best Practices for Deleting Comments on Facebook

Here are some best practices to keep in mind for deleting Facebook comments:

Double check which comment you want to delete before confirming.
Don’t abuse your privileges and arbitrarily delete others’ non-offensive comments.

Consider reporting truly offensive comments rather than just deleting.
Avoid deleting solely because a comment disagrees with you or portrays you negatively.
Be prompt in deleting unintended personal comments that should not be public.

Explain why you are deleting instead of just removing without context.

Mistakes to Avoid When Deleting Facebook Comments

Be careful not to make these common mistakes when deleting Facebook comments:

Accidentally deleting the wrong comment.

Deleting a constructive criticism or dissenting viewpoint.
Having deletion privileges revoked for overzealous removes.
Trying to permanently erase comments from records instead of just public view.

Deleting evidence of misbehavior that should be accountable.
Removing comments without explaining the reason for better transparency.

Alternatives to Deleting Facebook Comments

Instead of deleting, consider these alternative actions for unwanted Facebook comments:

Hide the comment from public view instead of permanent deletion.
Reply to the comment to voice your perspective.
Edit the comment to remove objectionable parts or clarify the intent.

Turn off comment notifications instead of removing.
Block the commenter’s account from interacting with your posts.
Report the comment to Facebook for review instead of taking action yourself.

Conclusion

Facebook provides the ability to delete your own comments as well as those left by others on content you have control over. Use this capability responsibly keeping in mind it only removes comments from public view but does not permanently erase them.

Consider the context and implications before deleting and if alternatives like hiding, editing or reporting could be better options. With proper judgment, deleting comments can be an effective way to curate conversations on Facebook.

Summary of How to Delete Facebook Comments
Comment Location	Deletion Process
Your own post	Click the “X” icon on the comment, then confirm deletion.
Someone else’s post	Use the drop down menu on the comment to select “Delete Comment.”
Facebook Page post	Click the “X” icon to delete your comment.
Facebook Group post	Use the drop down menu to choose “Delete comment.”