Want to know how to edit a Facebook comment?
Don’t delete and rewrite the whole thing – use this fast and easy way to edit comments on Facebook!
If you hate making typos, you’ll love this easy trick to edit a comment already posted on Facebook.
Heads up about editing Facebook comments
Something you should know, before you go all gangsta on your comments, knowing that you can edit them later.
You still want to take care about what you post. There’s no guarantee your initial comment won’t be seen, especially by those who get notifications.
If they have email notifications enabled, they’ll receive a copy of each version of the comment.
In addition, once a comment has been edited, Facebook users can check out the Edit History.
Facebook says: Edits to comments are visible to everyone who can see the comment.
If a comment has been edited, you’ll see the word Edited next to the time stamp. Clicking this shows the comment’s edit history.
All versions of the comment will pop up in a box.
How to edit a Facebook comment on computer browser
These instructions are for those of you using Facebook on a desktop or laptop computer.
Learn how to edit Facebook comments on mobile in the section below this one.
1 | Find the comment you wish to edit (or delete).
2 | Hover the 3 dots to the right of the comment to pop up “Edit or delete this.” Click on the 3 dots.
3 | Click on Edit (or Delete, if you prefer).
4 | Make your edits and hit Return on your keyboard.
NOTE: If you edited in the middle of the comment, be sure your cursor is placed at the end of the comment before hitting return or you’ll lose everything after the cursor.
5 | If you decide not to edit, you can hit Esc on your keyboard. Your comment will remain unchanged.
How to edit a Facebook comment on iPhone
These instructions also work for editing comments on iPad or Android, though the interface looks slightly different.
1 | Find the comment you wish to Edit.
On iOS, you need to first find the post you commented on, and then open the comments to find yours.
2 | Long press on the comment you wish to edit (or delete).
On iPhone, you’ll see a popup with:
- Speak
- Reply
- Edit
- Copy
- Delete
- Cancel
On iPad, your choices are:
- Reply
- Edit
- Copy
- Delete
3 | Tap Edit (or Delete, if you prefer).
4 | Make your edits and tap Update.
5 | If you decide not to edit, you can tap Cancel. Your comment will remain unchanged.
How to edit a Facebook comment [history]
The ability to edit comments on Facebook debuted on June 21, 2012.
The article you’re now reading was published on June 22, 2012, and updated in August 2019.
Before comment editing was enabled, if you made a mistake, you had to remove comments from Facebook by clicking the “X” that appeared in the upper right when you hovered over the comment.
Wasn’t that annoying?
I’m a perfectionist and hate making typos, so I spent too much time removing comments and rewriting them.
In 2012, Facebook initiated the “Edit pencil” instead of the X.
Here’s how it worked way back then:
- Click on the Edit pencil icon and edit to your heart’s content.
- Hit “Return” to post your edited comment.
- Click “Esc” to cancel the edit, and your comment will stand unchanged.
The ability to edit comments was only available on computer for a time. It didn’t appear on Android devices until October 2013!
Edit comments on Facebook: Conclusion
It’s easy as pie to edit a Facebook comment on desktop, iOS, or Android.
Save time – don’t delete and rewrite! Edit Facebook comments in a snap.
Pin it to Pinterest, so others can learn how to edit comments on Facebook!
Jake says
If you’ve written a long reply, it can be hard to find the ‘three dots’ menu. You would reasonably expect it to be at the top, or perhaps at the bottom. But surely not in the middle? And very faint too.
Facebook’s UX/UI continues to be terrible and quite often unfathomable, year on year. Makes you wonder: is it deliberate? i.e., they want to claim these options are available (to the press), but want to make them as difficult as possible for the user to find (because they have a deliberate policy of not wanting users to have any options). I know what I think and I think I am right…
Louise Myers says
Agreed, it’s very strange.
Rosie says
Your post shows exactly what I find. I always waste time to check my comment before uploading it. I think there must be a simple way to edit my comment and now it is. Thanks for your clear guide!
Louise Myers says
Glad it helped!
Charles Nelson says
Great Info. Thanks for sharing. I really don’t know how to edit comments on facebook. You guided me very well. Thank you so much.
Jimbo Paleo says
Does this new-fangled editing stuff meen my grammar and spellin’ have to be right some good now?
Yikes!
==> Your Friend, Jam
Amanda says
I have a pencil, when hovering is say edit or remove, but when Iclick on it it gives me options, but none are to edit… hide, delete, put on top, cahnge date, report as spam.
Louise Myers says
I think you’re talking about a wall post or status update. This refers to editing your comment on a wall post, not the post itself.
Katrina says
Thanks for the info! I’m a ruthless self-editor when it comes to posting things on social media. I tested this morning and it works for me–I can edit comments!
One thing to keep in mind, however, for those people who receive e-mail notifications of Facebook activity (and you don’t know who does or doesn’t), is that if you write a comment and then go back and edit it or delete it, the person may have already received your original post or comment via e-mail.
I’m not sure if there is a lag time between your FB activity and when notifications are sent. And maybe this is old or obsolete information.
But I learned my lesson the hard way so I’m very conscious about what I say and how I say it before I push that “enter” or “submit” button! 🙂
Louise Myers says
Great point on the notifications, Katrina! I have no idea if there’s a time lag. Been ages since I turned those pesky things off! I did notice today that FB adds the word “Edited” under the comment that was edited.