Can you change comment settings on Facebook?

Yes, Facebook allows users to customize their comment settings to control who can comment on their posts. Users have granular control over their comment settings and can choose to allow comments from everyone, friends only, or disable comments entirely. There are a few different ways to access and change comment settings on Facebook.

Accessing comment settings on Facebook

There are a couple of ways to access the comment settings for your Facebook profile:

Via the desktop site:
1. Click on the arrow in the top right corner and select “Settings”
2. In the left sidebar, click “Posts”
3. Under the “Comments” section, you will see the different options for who can comment on your public posts

Via the Facebook mobile app:
1. Tap on the three line “hamburger” menu icon in the top right
2. Select “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
3. Tap on “Posts” under the “Permissions” section
4. Tap on “Edit” next to “Who Can Comment On Your Public Posts” to change the settings

So in summary, access Settings/Posts on desktop or Settings -> Posts on mobile to adjust comment controls.

Facebook comment settings options

Facebook allows you to choose from the following options for who can comment on your public posts:

Public: Anyone can comment on your public posts
Friends: Only your Facebook friends can comment

Friends except acquaintances: Friends can comment, except acquaintances you’ve restricted
Only me: Disable comments entirely so only you can comment

You can choose the option that fits your preferences. The “Public” setting is the default that allows anyone to comment. Some users switch this to “Friends” only for more privacy and control.

Changing comment settings for a specific post

In addition to the global comment settings above, you can also customize the comment settings for a specific, individual Facebook post. When creating a post, click on the audience selector (usually “Public”) and choose “Custom” to access specialized settings just for that post. This will allow you to disable comments or narrow down who can comment for that specific post only.

Limiting comments from particular friends

If there are certain friends you don’t want to allow commenting on your posts, you can restrict them individually:

Go to your Facebook friend list

Hover over the name of the friend you want to restrict and click on the “Friends” drop down
Select “Restrict” which will categorize them as an “Acquaintance”

This will prevent that person from being able to comment while still keeping them on your friends list. You can change them back to a friend at any time to lift the restriction.

Blocking comments containing specific words or phrases

Facebook has a moderation tool that allows you to automatically block comments containing specific keywords, phrases, or profanity. To set this up:

Go to the “Posts” section of your Settings
Under “Comments”, click on “Filters”

Enter the words or phrases you want to block comments from containing
Click “Save Changes”

This can help prevent unwanted, offensive, or inappropriate comments from appearing on your posts. The filters apply to all future comments.

Deleting and reporting inappropriate comments

If an inappropriate comment does make it past your settings, you can easily delete it:

Hover over the comment and click the “X” icon to delete it
Alternatively, click the dropdown on the comment and choose “Delete comment”

If the comment violates Facebook’s policies, you can report it:

Click the dropdown on the comment and choose “Report”
Follow the on-screen instructions to file a report with Facebook’s moderators

Reporting inappropriate comments helps keep Facebook safer for everyone.

Disabling comments on Pages

If you manage a Facebook Page, you can similarly adjust the comment settings by going to “Settings” and selecting “Posts” under the “Permissions” section. Page admins can disable comments entirely or limit them to people who visit the Page.

Conclusion

In summary, Facebook provides robust controls over comment settings that allow you to:

Change the default comment audience for your profile
Customize settings for individual posts
Restrict specific friends from commenting

Block comments with certain keywords/profanity
Delete or report inappropriate comments
Turn off comments for Facebook Pages

Adjusting these settings to your comfort level allows you to curate the conversations on your posts and create a positive environment for discussion.

Comment Settings Options Summary Table

Setting	Who Can Comment
Public	Anyone including strangers
Friends	Your Facebook friends only
Friends except acquaintances	Friends except restricted acquaintances
Only me	No one, comments disabled

Example profile comment settings

Here are some example profile comment setting configurations:

Open commenting

Default comment audience: Public

Comment filters: None
Restricted acquaintances: None

This leaves commenting open for maximum engagement but also maximum exposure.

Limited commenting

Default comment audience: Friends except acquaintances
Comment filters: Profanity, racist terms
Restricted acquaintances: Recent contacts, coworkers

This limits comments to trusted friends only and blocks unwanted language.

Tightly restricted commenting

Default comment audience: Friends
Comment filters: Profanity, racist/sexist terms, triggers

Restricted acquaintances: Coworkers, distant friends, strangers

This shuts out acquaintances and further limits comments to close friends.

No commenting allowed

Default comment audience: Only me

Comment filters: All words
Restricted acquaintances: All

This disables comments entirely for complete control.

Troubleshooting comment issues

If you are having trouble with managing comments on your Facebook posts, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Make sure you’ve actually saved your comment setting changes after making them. Just updating the settings doesn’t apply them.
Try refreshing the page or post. New restrictions may not take effect on active discussions.

Consider if your filters are too broad. Very common words may block more comments than expected.
Comments can only be limited, not disabled, on public Pages. Use the Page moderation tools to delete unwanted comments.
Restricted acquaintances can still react and see all posts/activity unless they are fully unfollowed or blocked.

Report bugs or inconsistencies with commenting to Facebook. Their tools are constantly evolving.

With some testing and troubleshooting, you can find the right balance of comment controls for your comfort level on Facebook.

If you are looking for more help on managing and moderating Facebook comments, here are some related articles:

Monitoring and shaping the conversation on your Facebook posts helps build the positive community you want. With the right comment settings and moderation tactics, you can achieve that.