You can delete your own photos one at a time, or delete your entire account if you want to remove everything
Instagram lets you remove individual photos you've posted, and the process takes about 30 seconds per photo. You go to the photo, tap the three dots in the corner, and select delete. The photo disappears from your profile, your followers' feeds, and Instagram's servers — though anyone who screenshotted it before deletion still has their copy.
If you want to remove all your photos at once, you have two choices: delete your account entirely (which also removes your username and profile), or deactivate it temporarily (which hides everything but keeps your account recoverable for 30 days). Most people delete individual photos when they want to keep their account but remove something specific. Most people deactivate or delete their whole account when they're leaving Instagram for good.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a single photo takes about 30 seconds and removes it from your profile, your followers' feeds, and Instagram's main servers, though screenshots taken before deletion remain with whoever took them.
- You can only delete photos you posted yourself — you cannot remove photos someone else tagged you in, but you can untag yourself from them.
- Deactivating your account hides your profile and all content for 30 days, after which you can reactivate it and restore everything if you change your mind.
- Permanently deleting your account removes your profile, username, and all photos forever, and Instagram does not restore accounts after this step.
- Before deleting photos or your account, read your data if you want to keep copies of your posts, captions, and messages.
How to delete a single photo from your profile
Open Instagram and go to your profile by tapping your profile picture in the bottom right corner. Find the photo you want to delete and tap it to open it in full view. Tap the three horizontal dots in the top right corner of the photo — this opens a menu with several options.
Tap "Delete" at the bottom of that menu. Instagram will ask you to confirm: "Delete post?" Tap "Delete" again. The photo is now gone from your profile, from your followers' feeds, and from the main Instagram feed. Anyone who liked or commented on it will see that the post no longer exists, but their like or comment history may still show they interacted with something that's no longer there.
How to untag yourself from photos other people posted
You cannot delete photos that someone else posted, even if you're in them. You can only untag yourself, which removes your name from the photo and hides it from your own profile — but the photo stays on the other person's account.
Find the photo you're tagged in (search your name in the tag search, or look through the "Tagged" section of your profile). Tap the three dots on the photo and select "Remove me from post." Your name is removed from the tag, and the photo no longer appears on your profile. The person who posted it can still see it on their own account, and anyone who visits their profile can still find it.
How to deactivate your account temporarily
Deactivation hides your profile, photos, followers list, and everything else for 30 days. During that time, no one can find your account or see your content. If you change your mind, you can log back in and reactivate everything — your photos, followers, likes, and messages all come back exactly as they were.
Go to Settings (the gear icon or three horizontal lines, depending on your phone). Tap "Account" and then "Deactivate account." Instagram will ask why you're leaving and offer to let you read your data first — this is worth doing if you want to keep copies of your photos. Select "Deactivate account" and enter your password. Your account is now hidden.
If you want to come back within 30 days, straightforward log in with your username and password. If you do not log in within 30 days, Instagram permanently deletes your account and all its content.
How to permanently delete your account
Permanent deletion removes your profile, username, photos, messages, and followers list forever. Instagram does not restore permanently deleted accounts, so you cannot change your mind after this step. Before you delete, read your data if you want to keep copies of anything.
Go to Instagram's account deletion page on a computer or mobile browser (not the app). You'll need to log in. Select the reason you're leaving from the dropdown menu. Enter your password. Read the warning about what will be deleted. Tap "Permanently delete account." Your account and all its content are now gone.
How to read your photos and data before deleting
Instagram lets you read a copy of everything you've posted — all your photos, videos, captions, messages, and follower information. This takes a few days to prepare, but it's the only way to keep copies of your content if you're planning to delete your account.
Go to Settings, tap "Account," and select "read your data." Choose whether you want the data sent to your email as a file, or whether you want to read it directly. Instagram will prepare a file that contains all your posts and information. You'll receive an email with a link to read it, or you can check back in a few days to read it from the same settings page. The file is yours to keep.
What happens to your photos after you delete them
When you delete a photo, it disappears from Instagram's servers within a few hours. Your followers can no longer see it in their feeds or on your profile. Search engines like Google stop indexing it. Comments and likes on that photo are also removed.
However, anyone who screenshotted the photo before you deleted it still has their copy. Anyone who shared it to another platform (like saving it to their phone or posting it elsewhere) still has that copy too. Deletion removes the photo from Instagram, but it does not remove copies that other people made before the deletion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a photo I posted years ago?
Yes. You can delete any photo you posted yourself, no matter how old it is. Go to your profile, find the photo, tap the three dots, and select delete. There is no time limit on how long you can keep a photo before deleting it.
What if I delete a photo but then want it back?
Once you delete a photo, Instagram does not keep a copy. You cannot recover it from Instagram. If you saved a copy to your phone or computer before deleting it, you can re-upload it, but Instagram treats it as a new post with a new date and no original comments or likes.
If I deactivate my account, can my followers still see my old posts?
No. When you deactivate, your entire profile becomes hidden. No one can see your photos, followers, or any other information about your account. If you reactivate within 30 days, everything comes back and is visible again.
Does Instagram notify people when I delete a photo?
Instagram does not send a notification that you deleted a photo. People who liked or commented on it will see that the post is gone if they look for it, but they do not receive a message saying you deleted it.
Can I delete just the caption of a photo without deleting the photo itself?
Yes. Tap the three dots on the photo, select "Edit," and delete the text in the caption box. Tap "Done" to save. The photo stays, but the caption is now blank. You can also edit the caption to say something different instead of deleting it entirely.