Instagram Lets You Edit Comments—But Only for 15 Minutes

Why this matters

I really enjoy that Instagram finally let me fix my bad typing. You will find this very helpful when you mess up a word. Mistakes in comments used to stay there forever unless you deleted the whole thing. My friends and me see typos all the time and it looks messy.

How it works

Tap the three dots next to your post to find the new tool. I noticed that I only get fifteen minutes to make any changes. You can edit the same comment ten times if you need to. Your window closes fast so you must act quickly. Once the time is up, the button just disappears from your screen.

Why a short window?

I think the company wants to stop people from lying about what they said. Short times help keep the talk honest and fair. Data shows that most people spot their errors within the first two minutes anyway. You still get a chance to fix things without ruin the flow.

What you can’t edit

I tried to change a photo caption and it worked fine. You cannot swap a picture for a new one though. Stick to fixing words because the images are permanent. Every edit you make must happen inside that text box.

Transparency

A tiny label will appear to show everyone you changed your mind. I like how no one can see the old version of my text. Facebook lets people see your history but Instagram keeps it secret. Your secrets stay safe even if you fix a big mistake.

What’s coming next?

Adam Mosseri keeps talking about a dislike button for the app. I want more ways to handle mean people on my page. Check your settings often to see if new buttons show up. Most users want better tools for blocking spam and bots.

Looking ahead

I believe this update makes the app much better for everyone. You should test the edit tool today to see how it feels. Technology always changes and we have to keep up. Let me know if this feature helps you stop worrying about typos.