How to Set Up Instagram Hidden Words Filter (August 2026) Guide

Dealing with spam, trolls, and creepy comments on Instagram drains your time and energy. I have spent hours moderating comment sections, and the frustration is real when the same spam phrases keep showing up day after day. Learning how to set up the Instagram hidden words filter changed that for me, and it can do the same for you.

This guide walks you through every step of enabling Hidden Words, adding your own custom phrases, managing filtered content, and fixing problems when the feature does not behave the way you expect. By the end, you will have a cleaner, safer comment section without spending your day deleting messages manually.

What Is the Instagram Hidden Words Filter?

The Instagram Hidden Words filter is a built-in content moderation tool that automatically hides comments and message requests containing specific words, phrases, or emojis you do not want to see. It works quietly in the background, matching incoming content against both your custom word list and Instagram’s own database of offensive terms.

When a comment or message matches something on your list, Instagram hides it from your view automatically. The person who posted it can still see their own comment, but you never have to look at it. According to Instagram, enabling this feature reduces unpleasant comments by roughly 40%.

Hidden Words is available to all users on both the Instagram mobile app and the web version. You do not need a business account or any special verification to use it.

How to Set Up the Instagram Hidden Words Filter: Step by Step

Setting up Hidden Words takes less than two minutes once you know where to find the settings. The exact navigation path matters, so follow each step carefully.

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner to go to your profile.

Step 2: Tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the top right corner of your profile screen.

Step 3: Select Settings and privacy from the menu that slides up.

Step 4: Scroll down and tap Hidden words. This is usually located under the “How others can interact with you” section.

Step 5: You will now see toggle switches for different filtering options. Turn on the ones that fit your needs.

The first toggle you will encounter is for offensive words and phrases. This controls Instagram’s built-in list of commonly reported offensive terms. Flip it on, and the platform starts filtering that content automatically from your comments and message requests.

Below that, you will find options to hide comments and hide message requests separately. You can enable either one or both depending on what you want filtered. I recommend turning on both when you first set this up, then adjusting later based on what feels right for your account.

How to Add Custom Words, Phrases, and Emojis

The built-in offensive word filter catches a lot, but it does not catch everything. This is where custom words come in. Adding your own list lets you block specific spam phrases, slang, emojis, or any text that keeps showing up in your comments.

To add custom words, go to Settings and privacy > Hidden words and look for the section labeled Manage custom words and phrases. Tap it to open the custom list editor.

Type each word or phrase you want to block, separated by commas. You can add individual words, full phrases, and even emojis. Instagram matches these against incoming comments and message requests, so anything containing your listed terms gets hidden automatically.

Once you have entered your words, tap the checkmark or Add button to save the list. Then make sure the toggle for filtering custom words is turned on. Your custom list stays active until you change it, so you do not need to redo this step every time you open the app.

What Types of Content You Can Filter

Hidden Words is flexible enough to handle several different categories of unwanted content. Here is a breakdown of what works well in each category, based on what I have seen across accounts and what community discussions confirm.

Spam and Self-Promotion

Comments like “DM me for promotion,” “follow for follow,” “check my page,” and “click the link in my bio” are classic Instagram spam. Add these phrases to your custom list and watch the noise drop dramatically.

Scam Messages

Scammers often use phrases like “investment opportunity,” “cryptocurrency tips,” “you have won,” or “send me your details.” These show up frequently in message requests. Adding them to your hidden words list keeps your inbox cleaner and protects you from phishing attempts.

Offensive and Abusive Language

The built-in offensive word filter handles most common slurs and abusive terms. For anything specific to your situation, add the exact words or phrases to your custom list.

Engagement Bait

Comments designed to game the algorithm, such as “first,” “F,” “if you are reading this,” or random emoji strings, clutter your comment section. These do not add value and can be blocked with custom phrases.

Creepy or Unwanted Messages

If you receive uncomfortable messages in your DMs, adding specific phrases to your hidden words helps filter message requests that contain them. This is especially useful for creators and public-facing accounts.

Hide Comments vs. Hide Message Requests: What Is the Difference?

This is one of the most confusing parts of the Hidden Words feature, and most guides skip it entirely. The two toggles do different things, and understanding the difference matters.

Hide comments filters words from comments that appear under your posts, Reels, and Stories. When a comment matches your word list, it gets hidden from your view. The commenter can still see their own text, but it will not appear in your comment section publicly for others if Instagram decides to hide it entirely, or it will be collapsed behind a “See comment” tap depending on the context.

Hide message requests filters words from DM requests in your inbox. Messages from people you do not follow go to the requests folder, and if a request contains a word from your list, Instagram moves it to a hidden requests folder instead of showing it in your main requests.

You can enable both independently. Some users prefer to filter comments aggressively but leave message requests more open, or vice versa. Think about where you get the most unwanted content and prioritize that toggle.

How to Manage and View Hidden Comments

A common question I see on Reddit is whether Instagram deletes hidden comments or just hides them. The answer matters: Hidden Words does not delete anything. It only hides matched content from your view.

The person who posted the comment can still see it on their end. It simply does not show up in your comment section the way normal comments do. This means no content is permanently destroyed, and you can always review what was filtered.

To view hidden comments, go to your post and look for a notice indicating that some comments were filtered. You may see a prompt like “X comments hidden based on your hidden words preferences.” Tapping this lets you review the filtered comments if you want to check what was caught.

For hidden message requests, go to your DM inbox, open the Requests folder, and look for a Hidden Requests section. Filtered message requests land there, and you can open them to review before deciding to delete or allow them.

If you find a comment that was hidden incorrectly, you can adjust your custom word list. Remove the word that caused the false positive and the comment will appear normally going forward.

Troubleshooting: Instagram Hidden Words Not Working

Sometimes Hidden Words does not behave the way you expect. Reddit users report several recurring issues, and most of them have straightforward fixes or known limitations.

Spam Comments Still Getting Through

Spammers constantly change their tactics. They use misspellings, symbols, and new phrases to bypass filters. If spam is still appearing, update your custom word list with the current variations you are seeing. Treat your word list as a living document that needs regular attention.

Hidden Words List Keeps Deleting Itself (Android)

This is a known bug reported by Android users. When you open Settings > Hidden Words > Manage custom words, the app sometimes glitches and wipes your saved list. If this happens, try updating the Instagram app to the latest version first. If the problem persists, clear the app cache in your phone settings, then re-enter your words. Reporting the bug through the app helps Instagram prioritize a fix.

Comments Not Hidden on Reels

Some users report that Hidden Words filtering feels inconsistent on Reels content. If your Reels comments are not being filtered, double-check that the Hide comments toggle is turned on. Also verify your custom word list is still intact, since the Android deletion bug can silently remove words without warning.

Settings Menu Looks Different

Instagram updates its interface regularly. If you cannot find the Hidden Words option using the steps above, try searching within Settings. On some app versions, you can use the search bar at the top of the Settings and privacy screen and type “hidden words” to jump straight to it.

Filtered Comments Not Showing in Review

If you expect to see hidden comments but cannot find a review option, the filtered content may be handled silently by Instagram’s default moderation. Comments that match Instagram’s own offensive word database are sometimes hidden without a visible review prompt. Your custom word matches are the ones most likely to appear in a reviewable filtered section.

Pro Tips for Balanced Comment Filtering

It is tempting to add every word that annoys you to your hidden list, but overfiltering creates its own problems. If you block too broadly, genuine comments from real followers get caught in the filter, and your engagement drops without explanation.

Start with the built-in offensive word filter and a small set of specific spam phrases you actually see in your comments. Check your filtered content after a week to see what was caught. If you spot false positives, refine your list.

Update your custom word list every few weeks. Spammers cycle through new phrases, and the phrases that worked three months ago may not cover what is showing up today. Set a reminder on your phone if you need to, because a stale list stops being effective over time.

If you run a business or creator account, pay attention to how filtering affects your community. Some accounts find that a moderate filter keeps discussions productive, while an aggressive filter makes the comment section feel empty. Balance matters more than total blocking.

Consider using Instagram’s other moderation tools alongside Hidden Words. The Restrict feature quietly limits what a specific user can see and do without blocking them. Combined with Hidden Words, Restrict gives you two layers of control over difficult accounts.

Conclusion

Knowing how to set up the Instagram hidden words filter gives you real control over your comment section and message requests without spending hours on manual cleanup. Start with the built-in offensive filter, add custom words that match the spam you actually see, and update your list regularly.

The feature is not perfect, and bugs happen, but the 40% reduction in unwanted comments Instagram reports lines up with what most users experience once their list is dialed in. Take five minutes today to set it up, and your future self will thank you every time you open the app.

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