You can delete a Facebook story before or after it expires
A Facebook story disappears on its own after 24 hours, but you can remove it sooner if you change your mind about what you posted. The delete option is built into the story itself — you do not need to go into settings or contact Facebook. You can delete a story from your phone, tablet, or computer, and the process takes about 10 seconds.
Stories are different from regular posts because they are temporary by design. Facebook assumes you posted something you were comfortable with for a day, then it vanishes. But if you realize within those 24 hours that you want it gone when ready — because you said something you regret, shared something too personal, or just changed your mind — you have that control.
Key Takeaways
- Open your own story by tapping your profile picture at the top of the Facebook feed, then tap the three dots in the bottom right corner of the story frame.
- Select "Delete" from the menu that appears, and the story is removed from your profile and from anyone else's view within seconds.
- Once you delete a story, it cannot be recovered — Facebook does not keep a copy you can restore later.
- Deleting a story does not affect the people who already saw it or took screenshots before you deleted it.
- If you want to prevent stories from being saved or shared by others, you can change your story privacy settings before posting.
How to delete a story from your phone or tablet
Open Facebook and look at the top of your feed. You will see a row of circular profile pictures — yours is usually first on the left, often with a plus sign in the corner. Tap your own profile picture to open your story.
Once your story is open and filling the screen, look at the bottom right corner. You will see three dots stacked vertically (called a menu button). Tap those three dots. A small menu will pop up with a few options, including "Delete". Tap "Delete" and the story is gone when ready.
The story disappears from your profile and from anyone else's view right away. If someone took a screenshot before you deleted it, that screenshot still exists on their phone, but the original story is no longer on Facebook.
How to delete a story from a computer
Go to Facebook.com and log in. On the left side of the page, find your name and profile picture. Click on your profile picture or your name to go to your profile.
At the top of your profile, you will see your stories displayed as a row of images or videos. Hover your mouse over the story you want to delete. Three dots will appear in the top right corner of that story thumbnail. Click the three dots, then click "Delete" from the menu.
The story is removed from your profile when ready and no longer visible to anyone else on Facebook.
What happens when you delete a story
When you delete a story, it is gone from Facebook's servers within seconds. No one can see it on your profile anymore, and it does not appear in anyone else's feed or story view. Facebook does not keep a backup copy of deleted stories that you can recover later — once it is deleted, it is permanently removed.
However, deletion only affects what is on Facebook. If someone screenshotted your story before you deleted it, that image or video still exists on their device. Deleting the story does not erase copies that other people made. Some phones and tablets also notify you when someone takes a screenshot of your story, though this feature varies by device and Facebook version.
Preventing stories from being saved or shared by others
If you want to control whether people can save or share your stories before you post them, you can adjust your story privacy settings. Before you post a story, look for the privacy icon (usually a globe, lock, or people icon) at the bottom of the screen. Tap or click it to see your options.
You can choose to share your story with everyone, only with friends, or with specific people. You can also turn off the ability for people to save your story or reply to it. These settings explore to that single story — each time you post a new story, you can change the settings again.
Keep in mind that even if you turn off saving, someone can still take a screenshot with their phone's built-in screenshot tool, and Facebook cannot prevent that. The save restriction only disables the "Save Story" button within the Facebook app itself.
Deleting stories versus hiding them from certain people
Deleting a story removes it completely from Facebook. Hiding a story is different — it lets you keep the story on your profile but prevent specific people from seeing it. If you want to delete a story entirely, use the delete option. If you want to keep it but do not want one particular person to see it, you would need to delete and repost with different privacy settings, since Facebook does not have a built-in "hide from this person" feature for stories the way it does for regular posts.
For regular posts (not stories), you can click the three dots and choose "Edit Privacy" to hide the post from specific people without deleting it. Stories do not have this option — your only choices are to delete the story or to change who can see future stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete someone else's story?
No. You can only delete stories that you posted yourself. If you see a story from someone else that violates Facebook's rules or makes you uncomfortable, you can report it to Facebook instead. Click the three dots on their story and select "Report".
If I delete a story, will people know I deleted it?
Facebook does not send a notification saying "This person deleted their story." However, if someone was actively watching your story when you deleted it, they might notice it disappear from their screen. People who saw your story before you deleted it will remember seeing it, but they cannot go back and view it on your profile.
Can Facebook recover a story I deleted by mistake?
No. Once you delete a story, Facebook does not keep a copy. If you want to post the same content again, you would need to recreate it or find the original photo or video file on your device and repost it.
What if I want to delete all my stories at once?
Facebook does not have a bulk delete option for stories. You have to delete each story individually using the three-dot menu. If you have many stories, this takes a few minutes, but there is no faster way to remove them all at once.
Does deleting a story also delete the comments or reactions people left on it?
When you delete a story, any comments, reactions, or replies people left on it are also removed. Those interactions disappear along with the story itself.