How Instagram Comment Moderation Works

Instagram has seen a lot of changes in the last few months, but their latest update might be the best yet. Once you familiarize yourself with how Instagram comment moderation works, you'll be able to keep the haters at bay and your pictures safe from negativity — an unfortunate but totally necessary change.

Social media can be a great tool, outlet and platform for us to open ourselves up and share our lives. But when people take advantage of our openness and post hateful and hurtful comments, it turns that same platform into a dangerous space. It's not just celebrities who receive comments on their pictures that are inappropriate. Comment trolling is an unfortunate reality for many general users — having to put up with unsolicited critiques from followers is not something any of us anticipated when we first got started with the app. Which is exactly why Instagram announced today that they have made some serious changes to help keep comments and users safe.

Going forward, you will be able to pick key words to filter out with the comments tool. Instagram will either block a default, preset list of words for you, or let you choose the words you personally find to be inappropriate or offensive and block them for you— because we all have our own triggers. Here's how to use it:

Open Up Your Instagram

First you'll need to head to your profile page and hit the settings wheel on the upper right hand corner to get into your preferences.

Scroll Down To Comments

This is where the new changes are waiting for you, just scroll and tap.

Welcome To Your Comments Moderation Page

First you're going to want to switch on "Hide Inappropriate Comments" option by sliding the button to the right.

Pick Some Keywords That You'd Like To Ban

And, here you can customize your settings however you want. Keep your page positive, block negativity, and add as many words as you see fit. Nobody else will know what your settings are, and you won't ever see those words appear in your comment section again. An Instagram algorithm will scan your comments and only approve the ones that are hate-free.

In our earnest attempts to feel connected, sometimes we risk unforeseen dangers that end up making us feel isolated. While social media platforms can be an amazing instrument that keeps us close with people from our past, introduces us to friends of the future and helps us express ourselves, it can also be taken advantage of. So thanks to this new update in the comments settings, the app will hopefully become less of a target for hate, and more of a platform for positivity, sharing, and education, as it should always be.

Images: Kaitlyn Wylde