Creators on YouTube can now choose to temporarily disable comments if they need a break.

YouTube comments are an interesting place. Not only do content creators get feedback on their content, you also get to know different opinions of people on that topic. However, sometimes moderation is an absolute necessity.

Now the video giant has introduced the option to pause the comment section without getting rid of the ones that have already been sent. Simply put, users can still see comments that have already been added, but cannot add new ones.

This enables two things in practice:

– Provides greater flexibility in how YouTube users manage their comments.

– Gives a break in the moderation of comments, if the content producers so wish, without completely disabling the comments.

Prior to this update, YouTube creators had to either disable the comments section entirely or leave comments to be reviewed before being published. However, this new feature allows creators to select “Pause” from the video-level comment settings found on the watch page in the YouTube app or Studio on desktop or mobile.

Additionally, YouTube has also renamed some settings to simplify things. “We’re simplifying the organization and naming of certain comment settings so you can more easily use our comment monitoring tools if you want,” the company states.

In related news, YouTube announced new policies earlier this month that require content creators to disclose when they’ve produced altered or synthetic content that looks realistic, including the use of creative AI tools. These policies also include measures to eliminate deep counterfeiting.

“Generative AI has the potential to unleash creativity on YouTube and transform the experience for viewers and creators on our platform. But just as importantly, these opportunities must be balanced with our responsibility to protect the YouTube community,” YouTube said in a blog post.