You can delete your own Instagram posts in three taps from your phone or computer
Open Instagram and go to your profile. Find the photo you want to remove, tap the three dots in the upper right corner of that post, and select "Delete." Instagram will ask you to confirm — tap "Delete" again, and the photo is gone. The whole process takes about 10 seconds. Once deleted, the photo disappears from your profile, your followers' feeds, and anywhere else it appeared on Instagram. People who saw it before deletion may remember it, but they cannot find it on the app anymore.
If you are on a computer instead of a phone, the steps are the same: go to your profile, find the post, click the three dots, and select "Delete." The confirmation screen looks the same.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted photos disappear from your profile and all feeds within seconds, but people who saw them may still remember them.
- You can only delete your own posts — Instagram does not let you remove photos that other people posted of you.
- Deleting a post also removes all the comments, likes, and captions that were attached to it.
- If you want to hide a post without deleting it, you can archive it instead, which keeps it on your phone but hides it from your profile.
What happens to comments and likes when you delete a post
When you delete a photo, every comment, like, and share connected to that post disappears too. People who left comments will not see their own words anymore. If someone tagged themselves in the photo, that tag vanishes. The post straightforward ceases to exist on Instagram's servers as far as the public can see.
This is different from deleting individual comments. If you want to keep the photo but remove one specific comment someone left, you can tap and hold that comment, then select "Delete." That removes just that one comment while the photo stays up.
Archiving a post instead of deleting it
If you are not sure you want to delete a photo permanently, Instagram offers archiving as an alternative. When you archive a post, it disappears from your public profile and your followers cannot see it anymore — but you keep a copy in a private archive that only you can view.
To archive a post, tap the three dots on the photo, select "Archive," and the post moves to a hidden folder. You can find archived posts by going to your profile, tapping the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and selecting "Archive." From there you can unarchive the post anytime to put it back on your profile, or you can delete it permanently later if you decide you do not want it.
Archiving is useful if you want to clean up your profile without losing the photo, or if you posted something you are unsure about and want time to think before making it permanent.
Deleting photos other people posted of you
You cannot delete a photo that someone else posted, even if you are in it. Only the person who posted the photo can delete it. However, you have other options. You can ask the person directly to take it down, or you can report the photo to Instagram if it violates the platform's rules — for example, if it is a nude image shared without consent, or if it contains harassment.
To report a photo, tap the three dots on the post and select "Report." Instagram will ask why you are reporting it and may remove the photo if it breaks their community guidelines. You can also untag yourself from the photo so it does not appear on your profile, even though it stays on the other person's account. Tap the photo, find your name in the caption or tags, and select "Remove me from post."
Recovering a deleted photo
Once you delete a photo from Instagram, you cannot recover it through the app. Instagram does not have an "undo" button or a trash folder where deleted posts sit temporarily. The deletion is permanent.
However, if you saved the original photo file to your phone's camera roll or computer before posting it, you still have that copy. You can re-upload it to Instagram anytime. If you did not save the original file, you can sometimes read a copy of your data from Instagram by going to Settings, selecting "How to read your info," and requesting an archive of your account. Instagram will email you a file containing copies of your posts, but this process takes a few days and is meant for backing up your entire account, not recovering single photos.
Why you might want to delete old posts
People delete Instagram photos for different reasons. You might want to remove an unflattering photo, take down a post that no longer matches your current interests, or clean up your profile before a job interview or important event. Deleting old posts can also help you feel more in control of what you share publicly.
Keep in mind that deleting a post does not erase it from the internet entirely. Screenshots exist, and search engines may have cached copies. If the photo was shared widely or reposted elsewhere, removing it from your Instagram account will not remove it from those other places. For sensitive content, think carefully before posting in the first place.
Bulk deleting multiple posts at once
Instagram does not have a built-in tool to delete many posts at the same time. You have to delete them one by one, which can take a while if you want to remove dozens of old photos. There is no faster way through the app itself.
Some third-party apps claim to let you bulk delete Instagram posts, but Instagram's terms of service do not allow these apps to access your account in that way. Using them risks getting your account suspended or locked. The safest approach is to delete posts manually, a few at a time, or to archive old posts instead if you want to hide them without the time commitment of deleting each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a photo after someone has already screenshot it?
No. Once someone takes a screenshot, they have a copy on their phone that you cannot remove. Deleting the post from Instagram only removes it from the app — it does not affect screenshots or copies that already exist elsewhere. If you are concerned about a photo being shared, think twice before posting it.
What if I delete a photo and then want to post it again?
You can re-upload the same photo anytime if you saved the original file to your phone. It will appear as a new post with a new date, and it will not have the old comments or likes. If you did not save the original file, you cannot get it back from Instagram.
Does deleting a post affect my follower count?
No. Deleting a post does not change how many followers you have. It only removes that one photo from your profile. Your follower count stays the same whether you delete posts or not.
Can Instagram see deleted photos?
Instagram's servers may keep records of deleted content for a period of time for security and legal reasons, but deleted photos are not visible to you, your followers, or the public. From a user perspective, the photo is completely gone.