Delete a TikTok post from your profile in three steps
To delete a post on TikTok, open the app, find the video on your profile, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner of the video, and select Delete. The post disappears when ready — TikTok does not send it to a trash folder or give you a waiting period. Once you confirm the deletion, the video, all its comments, and all engagement (likes, shares, views) are gone permanently.
This works the same way whether you posted the video yesterday or months ago. You do not need to be in a specific part of the app or have any special account type. The delete option appears for every video you created, but not for videos other people posted or shared to you.
If you cannot find the three-dot menu, make sure you are looking at your own profile. Tap your profile icon at the bottom right of the screen, then scroll to find the video you want to remove. The three dots should appear when you hover over or tap the video itself.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted posts cannot be recovered — TikTok does not keep them in a trash folder or let you restore them after deletion.
- The three-dot menu appears on every video you posted, and the delete option is always the last choice in that menu.
- Deleting a post removes the video, all comments on it, and all likes and shares it received.
- You can delete a post from your profile page or from the video's individual page — the process is identical either way.
Where to find the delete button on different devices
On a phone running iOS or Android, the process is identical. Open TikTok, go to your profile by tapping the person icon at the bottom right, and scroll through your videos until you find the one you want to remove. Tap the video once to open it, or tap the three dots that appear when you hover over it on your profile grid.
When you tap the three dots, a menu slides up from the bottom of the screen. The options usually include Save video, Share, Report, and Delete. Tap Delete at the bottom of this menu. A confirmation message appears asking if you are sure — tap Delete again to confirm.
On a computer or web browser, the steps are nearly the same. Log into TikTok on your web browser, click your profile icon, and find the video you want to remove. Hover your mouse over the video and click the three dots that appear. Select Delete from the dropdown menu, then confirm when prompted.
What happens to comments and engagement when you delete
When you delete a post, every comment left on that video disappears along with it. People who commented will not receive a notification that the post was deleted — they will straightforward notice the video is no longer on your profile when they try to find it again. The same applies to likes, shares, and view counts.
If someone shared your video to their own profile or sent it to a friend before you deleted it, they will still have access to that share or message. Deleting your original post does not remove copies or links that other people saved or forwarded. However, if they try to click through to your original post from their share, they will see an error message saying the video no longer exists.
Your follower count does not change when you delete a post. People who followed you because of that video will remain followers, and you will not lose engagement credit or points for the deletion.
Reasons to delete a post before you regret it later
You might delete a post because you changed your mind about the content, made a mistake in the video, or no longer want that type of content on your profile. Some people delete posts that did not perform well or that they feel do not represent them anymore. Others delete posts to clean up their profile before sharing it with a specific audience — like a potential employer or a new group of friends.
If you posted something by accident — the wrong video, a duplicate, or something you meant to save as a draft — deletion is the fastest way to remove it. There is no way to edit a TikTok post after you publish it, so deletion is your only option if you want to change the video itself. You would need to film a new version and post it separately.
Deleting a post also removes it from TikTok's recommendation system when ready. If a video was getting unwanted attention or comments you did not want to moderate, deletion stops new people from finding it.
How to avoid accidentally deleting the wrong post
Before you tap Delete the second time to confirm, look at the video thumbnail or title in the confirmation message. TikTok shows you which post you are about to remove, so take a moment to verify it is the right one. This is especially important if you have many similar videos or if you are deleting quickly.
If you are on your profile and see multiple videos at once, tap the specific video you want to delete rather than tapping the three dots on a nearby video. The three-dot menu only appears on the video you are interacting with, so this mistake is less common than it sounds — but it is worth double-checking if you are scrolling fast.
There is no undo button after you confirm deletion, so if you realize you made a mistake, your only option is to re-film and re-post the video. Keep this in mind if the video took a long time to create or if it had significant engagement that you wanted to preserve.
Deleting drafts and scheduled posts instead of published videos
If you have a draft video that you never posted, you can delete it from your drafts folder instead of your published profile. Open TikTok, tap the plus icon to create a new video, and look for your drafts. Tap and hold the draft you want to remove, then select Delete. Drafts disappear when ready and do not affect your published videos or follower count.
If you scheduled a video to post at a future time, you can cancel that scheduled post before it goes live. Go to your profile, find the scheduled video (it usually shows a clock icon or "Scheduled" label), tap the three dots, and select Delete or Cancel scheduling. Once you cancel, the video will not post automatically, and you can either delete it or re-schedule it for a different time.
Deleting a draft or scheduled post is permanent, just like deleting a published video. You cannot recover it after deletion, so make sure you do not need it before you confirm.
What to do if the delete button does not appear
If you cannot see the three-dot menu on a video, make sure you are on your own profile and not viewing someone else's account. You can only delete videos you posted — you cannot delete comments, videos, or posts from other people's accounts. Check that you are logged in to the correct account if you manage more than one TikTok profile.
If the three-dot menu appears but the Delete option is missing, try closing and reopening the TikTok app. Sometimes the menu does not load completely on the first try. If the problem continues, update your TikTok app to the latest version through your phone's app store, then try again.
On rare occasions, TikTok may temporarily prevent you from deleting a post if there is a technical issue or if the post is under review for violating community guidelines. If you see an error message instead of the delete option, wait a few hours and try again. If the problem persists, you can contact TikTok support through the app's settings menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a post if it has a lot of comments or shares?
Yes, you can delete a post regardless of how many comments, likes, or shares it has. The delete button works the same way whether the video has one view or one million. All comments and engagement disappear when you delete the post.
Will people get notified if I delete a post?
No, TikTok does not send notifications when you delete a post. People who commented or liked the video will not receive a message about the deletion. They will only notice the video is gone if they try to find it on your profile.
Can I recover a deleted post?
No, deleted posts cannot be recovered. TikTok does not keep deleted videos in a trash folder or recovery system. If you want the video back on your profile, you would need to re-upload it or re-film it.
What if I deleted a post by mistake?
If you deleted a post accidentally, your only option is to re-upload it if you have the original video file saved on your phone or computer. TikTok does not restore deleted posts, even if you contact support. This is why it is important to keep copies of videos you care about.
Does deleting a post affect my account or follower count?
No, deleting a post does not change your follower count, account status, or any other part of your profile. Your followers remain followers, and your account history is not affected by removing individual videos.