Annotations are great for collaboration — they help communicate decisions, clarify developer handoff, and track feedback. But what if your file is getting cluttered? Or you’re prepping a clean version for stakeholders or presentation?
That’s where knowing how to hide annotations in Figma becomes essential.
In this guide, we’ll show you several ways to hide annotations — whether they’re comments, canvas notes, or visual callouts — without losing the valuable info behind them.
🧩 Types of Annotations You Might Want to Hide
Before we dive in, let’s clarify what counts as an annotation in Figma:
| Annotation Type | Can You Hide It? | How? |
|---|---|---|
| Comment Pins | ✅ Yes | Toggle Comments panel |
| Text Notes | ✅ Yes | Use layers or visibility toggles |
| Arrows/Shapes | ✅ Yes | Group and toggle visibility |
| Sticky Notes (FigJam) | ✅ Yes | Manual layer toggling |
Now let’s look at how to hide each kind.
🔕 1. Hide Figma Comments
If your file is covered in comment pins, here’s how to make them disappear temporarily:
✅ How to Hide Comments:
- Click the speech bubble icon in the top-right toolbar (or press C)
- This toggles Comment Mode on and off
- Exit Comment Mode to hide all pins and threads
🧠 Note: This only affects your current view — it doesn’t delete comments or remove them for others.
🗂️ 2. Hide Canvas Annotations (Text, Arrows, Labels)
If you’ve created annotations directly on the canvas — like “Note to Dev” text boxes, arrows, or highlight rectangles — these are just standard Figma layers.
✅ How to Hide Them:
- Group them into a frame or section (e.g., “Annotations”)
- Toggle the eye icon next to that group in the Layers panel
- Or lock them to avoid accidental movement
🧼 Tip: Keep annotations on their own Page or in a dedicated Section to manage visibility cleanly.
📄 3. Hide Sticky Notes (in FigJam)
In FigJam, annotations often come as sticky notes or emojis.
✅ How to Hide:
- Select a batch of sticky notes and group them
- Toggle their visibility in the sidebar
- Use layers panel in FigJam (if enabled) to organize and hide content
🛠️ Pro Tips for Managing Annotations
| Strategy | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Use consistent naming (e.g., “Dev Notes”) | Easy to select/hide via search |
| Use a color system (gray = hidden) | Visual guide for team |
| Export without annotations | Hide annotation layers before export |
| Create a “Presentation Mode” version | Duplicate file with all notes removed/hidden |
✅ Summary: How to Hide Annotations in Figma
| Task | How to Do It |
|---|---|
| Hide comment pins | Exit Comment Mode (toggle “C”) |
| Hide canvas notes | Toggle visibility in Layers panel |
| Hide sticky notes (FigJam) | Group and toggle manually |
| Keep annotations hidden on export | Turn off layers before exporting |
Annotations are essential for design collaboration — but knowing how and when to hide them is just as important for keeping your Figma file clean, shareable, and client-ready.
Want more Figma best practices? Explore smart workflows, variables, Dev Mode, and more at Designilo.com.
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