YouTube Comments Disabled: Why & How to Fix

Quick answer: If YouTube says “Comments are turned off,” check the video’s comment setting, audience, and visibility. Made for Kids and private videos do not allow comments. Creators can turn comments On when no restriction prevents it. Viewers cannot override the creator’s settings, but can check whether Restricted Mode or a loading problem is hiding comments.

Start Here: What Do You See?

• “Comments are turned off” on your own video: Check Comments and ratings in Studio, then Audience and Visibility. Follow the creator steps below.
• Existing comments are visible, but new ones cannot be added: Check whether comments are Paused or limited to subscribers and members.
• Some comments appear but one is missing: Check the Held queue and moderation settings. A missing individual comment does not mean the whole comment section is disabled.
• Comments are missing on many videos you watch: Check Restricted Mode and compare the same video in another browser or device.
• The problem is the Shorts player: Use the Shorts comment troubleshooting checklist for a missing button or empty panel.

How to Re-Enable Comments: Step-by-Step for Each Scenario

For a video you own, use this desktop path. You need an account with permission to edit that video.

• 1. Open YouTube Studio → Content. Select the affected video’s thumbnail.
• 2. Open Show more → Comments and ratings. Set Comments to On if available, then choose the moderation level you want.
• 3. Save. Open the video’s watch page again to check the result.
• 4. If the option is unavailable: Check the video’s Audience and Visibility settings, and any restriction notice in Studio. The sections below explain which settings you can change.

On the YouTube mobile app, open your own video, tap Comments → Settings → Comments under “For this video.” On a Short, Comments is beside the player. YouTube’s instructions cover both desktop and mobile.

Off, Paused, and Held for Review Are Different

• Off: Viewers cannot add comments, and existing comments are hidden. Turning comments back On makes existing comments reappear; it does not restore comments that were deleted.
• Pause: Existing comments remain visible, but new comments stop until the creator turns comments On again.
• On with moderation: Viewers can submit comments. Basic holds potentially inappropriate comments; Strict holds a broader range; Hold all queues all comments for review. Basic does not hold every comment.
• Subscribers and members only: A video can have comments On while limiting who can write a new comment. Check the eligibility message instead of treating the video as disabled.

These are separate controls in YouTube’s comment settings. Choose a moderation level that fits your review workflow; turning everything off is not required to review incoming comments.

Reason 1: Made for Kids Classification (COPPA Compliance)

YouTube disables comments on videos designated Made for Kids. In Studio, open the video’s Details and check Audience. A channel-level audience choice can also apply to its uploads. Set the audience according to the actual content, not to unlock comments.

If you set the audience incorrectly, correct it. If YouTube set it and the setting is locked, follow the review or appeal process described in YouTube’s audience-setting guidance. An On comment setting cannot override a Made for Kids designation. A disclaimer or different thumbnail is not a substitute for an accurate audience assessment.

Private Videos Do Not Allow Comments

Check Visibility in the video’s Details. Private videos cannot receive comments. Unlisted videos can, subject to their other settings, but anyone with the link can view and reshare them. Keep a video private if it needs that access restriction. YouTube explains the visibility restriction here.

Reason 2: Channel-Level Comment Defaults

In the current desktop Studio interface, open Settings → Community moderation → Content controls. Under Comments on new videos and posts, check Comments and Moderation. The screenshot below shows the actual controls, captured in September 2026.

Defaults apply to future uploads; changing them does not repair an existing video’s setting. For an affected upload, use Content → video → Show more → Comments and ratings. If several existing videos need the same change, Studio also supports bulk edits. Document your choice if multiple people manage the channel; our moderation workflow guide can help.

Comments Are On, but Individual Comments Are Missing

In Studio, open Community → Held to review unpublished comments. Some interfaces label the section Comments or Comments & Mentions. Suspected spam is in this same Held queue; “Likely spam” is a label, not a separate folder. YouTube’s spam-review instructions explain how to approve or remove those entries.

Also review blocked words, link filtering, and hidden users in Community moderation. Hidden-user comments are not available in the Held queue. For a comment that is missing while other comments remain visible, use the individual missing-comment guide rather than repeatedly switching the entire comment section off and on.

Age Restriction and YouTube Safety Restrictions

Age restriction is not the same setting as Made for Kids. YouTube’s age-restriction documentation says viewers must be signed in and at least 18 to watch an age-restricted video. It does not establish that age restriction automatically disables comments. Check the actual comment setting and the specific restriction notice instead.

YouTube can disable features, including comments, on content depicting children or uploaded by minors, even when the content does not violate its policies. See YouTube’s child safety policy. Do not assume a missing comment section proves that your channel has a strike. Follow the notice and any available review process in Studio.

What Viewers Can Check

• Restricted Mode: When enabled, it hides video comments. It can be controlled by your browser, device, account supervision, or network administrator. Check the setting; a creator cannot change it for you.
• One video or many: Compare a second video. If only one says comments are off, the owner’s setting or a video restriction may explain it.
• A blank or loading panel: Reload, restart or update the app, and compare another browser or device. A different result helps isolate a display problem; it does not prove a comment was deleted.
• Comments visible but no ability to post: Check sign-in, any subscriber/member requirement, and whether your account is supervised. These can affect posting without the creator turning comments off.

Read YouTube’s Restricted Mode instructions and its explanation of comments for supervised accounts. For unresolved loading issues, note the device, app version, affected URL, and exact message when reporting the problem. There is no recovery time we can promise.

Managing Comments Effectively Once They Are Enabled

Use Studio to review held comments. The public CommentShark Comment Searcher can help find publicly available comments on a video; an absent result cannot tell you whether a comment is held, hidden, or deleted. For recurring questions on your connected channel, CommentShark automation can prepare replies for approval or run rules you choose. It cannot override YouTube’s comment restrictions.

Frequently Asked Questions