To unblock someone on YouTube comments, open YouTube Studio, go to Settings, select Community, find the person under Hidden users, remove them, and click Save. That is the main fix if you previously hid a viewer from your channel. Once removed, that user can comment again, unless your comment settings, blocked words, or moderation filters still catch their posts.
TLDR: Most “blocked” YouTube commenters are actually listed as hidden users in YouTube Studio. For example, if you hid 12 spammy accounts during a messy livestream and later realize one was a real fan, you can remove that person from the hidden list in under two minutes. Based on a typical creator workflow, checking Hidden users, Blocked words, and Comment moderation solves around 90% of “why can’t this person comment?” cases. Always click Save, because YouTube will quietly ignore your changes if you leave too soon.
What “Blocking” Means on YouTube Comments
YouTube uses a few different systems that feel like blocking. This is where things get annoying. The word you may expect is blocked, but YouTube often calls it hidden from channel.
When you hide someone from your channel, their comments no longer appear publicly on your videos, Shorts, livestreams, or Community posts. The odd part? They may still see their own comment after posting. To them, it can look normal. To everyone else, it is invisible.
This is useful for spam, harassment, and bait comments. It is less useful when you accidentally hide a regular viewer because you tapped the wrong menu during a heated comment section cleanup.
How to Unblock Someone Using YouTube Studio on Desktop
The desktop version is the easiest place to manage blocked or hidden users. The mobile app gives you some moderation tools, but YouTube Studio on a browser is clearer for this task.
- Open YouTube Studio at studio.youtube.com.
- Sign in to the channel that has the hidden user.
- Click Settings in the left menu.
- Select Community.
- Open the Automated filters tab if it is not already open.
- Find the Hidden users box.
- Look for the person’s channel name or handle.
- Click the X next to their name to remove them.
- Click Save.
That final save step matters. Honestly, it feels like YouTube should autosave this kind of change, but it does not always behave that way. Expect to waste time if you close the settings window too quickly.
How to Unblock Someone from a Comment Thread
If you can still find a comment from that person in YouTube Studio, you may be able to reverse the action there.
- Open YouTube Studio.
- Click Comments in the left menu.
- Search for the user or scan recent comments.
- Click the three dot menu next to their comment.
- Choose Unhide user from channel, if that option appears.
This method is faster when the comment is recent. The problem is that older hidden comments may be hard to find. If you do not see the option, use the Hidden users list instead.
Can You Unblock Someone from the YouTube Mobile App?
Sometimes, yes. But the app can be limited, and menu names may shift between Android and iPhone. For the most reliable result, use YouTube Studio in a desktop browser.
If you want to try on mobile, use these steps:
- Open the YouTube Studio app.
- Go to a comment from the user, if you can find one.
- Tap the three dot menu.
- Look for an option like Unhide user.
If that option does not appear, open a browser on your phone, switch to desktop view, and use studio.youtube.com. It is clunky on a small screen, but it works.
Check Your Comment Permissions Too
Unblocking a user may not be enough. If your channel settings are strict, their comments may still get held, filtered, or blocked by certain words.
Check these areas in YouTube Studio > Settings > Community:
- Hidden users: People whose comments are invisible to the public.
- Approved users: People whose comments are allowed automatically.
- Moderators: People who can help manage comments during videos or live chat.
- Blocked words: Words and phrases that send comments into review or block them.
- Links: You can hold comments that contain links, which often catches normal comments too.
If the viewer says, “I still can’t comment,” ask them what they are posting. A blocked phrase, emoji spam, or a link may be the real problem.
Review Video Level Comment Settings
YouTube also lets you control comments on each video. That means your channel may allow comments, while one specific video does not.
To check a single video:
- Open YouTube Studio.
- Click Content.
- Select the video.
- Scroll to Comments and ratings.
- Check whether comments are allowed, held for review, or turned off.
- Click Save after making changes.
This is common after sensitive uploads. A creator may set comments to Hold all comments for review during a launch, then forget to change it back. Weeks later, viewers think they are blocked when every comment is simply waiting in a queue.
What Happens After You Unblock Someone?
Once you remove a person from Hidden users, they can post visible comments again. New comments should appear based on your current settings.
Past comments may not always come back. YouTube has never made this part feel fully transparent. In many cases, the person needs to comment again for the change to be obvious.
If the user still has trouble, ask them to try this:
- Refresh YouTube.
- Sign out and sign back in.
- Post a short test comment without links.
- Avoid words that may trigger your blocked word list.
- Try commenting on another video on your channel.
How to Avoid Blocking the Wrong People
Comment moderation gets messy when a video takes off. If 500 comments arrive in one hour, mistakes happen. A sarcastic fan can look like a troll. A blunt question can look like spam.
Use a simple system:
- Hide users only for repeat spam, abuse, scams, or harassment.
- Delete comments for one off junk that does not need a full channel hide.
- Hold for review when you are unsure.
- Add trusted moderators if live chats move too fast.
- Review hidden users monthly if your channel gets heavy traffic.
A quick monthly review can save you from silently losing good viewers. If even 2% of your hidden list contains accidental blocks, that could mean 10 real viewers on a list of 500 hidden accounts.
When You Should Keep Someone Blocked
Unblocking is not always the right move. Keep a user hidden if they post threats, scams, hate speech, impersonation attempts, or repeated harassment. Your comment section is part of your channel experience. You get to protect it.
If someone made one rude comment six months ago, unblocking may be reasonable. If they posted 40 comments promoting fake giveaways, leave them hidden. There is no prize for giving spammers a second chance.
Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
- Remove the person from Hidden users.
- Click Save.
- Check Blocked words.
- Check link filtering.
- Check comment settings on the specific video.
- Ask the user to post a clean test comment.
- Review the Held for review tab in YouTube Studio.
Managing YouTube comments is part cleanup, part people management. The good news is that unblocking someone usually takes only a few clicks once you know where YouTube hides the setting. Start with Settings > Community > Hidden users, save the change, then check your filters if comments still do not appear.