The basic steps differ by platform, but the idea is the same on all of them
To delete a post, find it on your profile or feed, look for a menu icon (usually three dots or lines), tap or click it, and select delete or remove. The post disappears from your profile and from other people's feeds within seconds. On most platforms, deleted posts cannot be recovered — they are gone permanently — so take a moment to make sure you want it gone before you confirm.
The exact location of the delete button changes depending on which platform you use and whether you are on a phone or computer. The steps below cover the major ones: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. If you use a different platform, the pattern is usually the same: find your post, open the menu, and look for delete or remove.
Key Takeaways
- On Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, tap the three dots above or below your post to find the delete option.
- On TikTok, swipe left on your post or tap the three dots, then select delete.
- On X, click the three dots in the top right corner of the post and choose delete.
- Once you delete a post, it is gone permanently and cannot be recovered from the platform.
- Deleting your own post does not remove screenshots or shares that other people have already made.
How to delete a post on Facebook
On Facebook, go to your profile or find the post in your feed. Hover over the post (on a computer) or tap and hold it (on a phone). A menu will appear with options including delete. Tap or click delete, then confirm when Facebook asks you to verify. The post is removed from your profile and from your friends' feeds when ready.
If you cannot find the menu, look for three dots or a down arrow in the top right corner of the post itself. On older versions of Facebook or on some phones, the menu may appear at the bottom of the post instead. If the post is very old, it may take a few seconds to load the menu options.
How to delete a post on Instagram
Open Instagram and navigate to the post you want to delete. It can be on your profile, in your feed, or in your stories. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post. A menu will appear with options including delete. Tap delete, and Instagram will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the post is gone.
For Instagram Stories, the process is the same: tap the three dots on the story and select delete. Stories disappear after 24 hours anyway, but you can remove them sooner if you want to. Deleted stories cannot be recovered.
How to delete a post on TikTok
On TikTok, find the video you posted. On a phone, swipe left on the video thumbnail in your profile. A trash icon will appear — tap it to delete. Alternatively, tap the three dots on the video itself and select delete from the menu. TikTok will ask you to confirm before the video is removed.
On a computer, go to your profile, find the video, and click the three dots. Select delete from the menu and confirm. Deleted TikTok videos are permanent and cannot be recovered.
How to delete a post on X
Find the post (called a post on X, formerly called a tweet). Click or tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post. A menu will appear. Select delete or remove post. X will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the post is deleted and will no longer appear on your profile or in other people's feeds.
On a phone, you may need to tap and hold the post first to reveal the menu. On a computer, the three dots are visible as soon as you hover over the post. If you cannot see the menu, make sure you are looking at your own post — you can only delete posts you wrote yourself.
How to delete a post on LinkedIn
Go to your profile or find the post in your feed. Tap or click the three dots in the top right corner of the post. A menu will appear with options including delete. Select delete, and LinkedIn will ask you to confirm. The post is then removed from your profile and from the feeds of people who saw it.
LinkedIn posts can include text, images, documents, or links. The delete process is the same regardless of what type of post it is. Once deleted, the post cannot be recovered.
What happens after you delete a post
When you delete a post, it disappears from your profile and from the feeds of people who follow you or are connected to you. The platform no longer shows it in search results or in people's timelines. However, deleting a post does not erase screenshots, shares, or comments that other people made before you deleted it. If someone took a screenshot or shared your post to another platform, that copy remains on their account and on that platform.
Some platforms keep a record of deleted posts in your account settings for a limited time, but you cannot see them or restore them yourself. If you need to recover a deleted post, contact the platform's support team, though they may not be able to help depending on how long ago you deleted it and the platform's policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a post that someone else shared or commented on?
You can delete your own post even if others have shared it or commented on it. When you delete your post, the original disappears from your profile, but the shares and comments that other people made may remain on their accounts. You cannot delete comments or shares made by other people.
What if I delete a post by accident?
Most platforms do not offer a way to recover a deleted post yourself. Contact the platform's support team and explain what happened. They may be able to restore it if you act quickly, but there is no may provide. This is why it is a good idea to pause before confirming a deletion.
Does deleting a post remove it from Google search results?
Deleting a post from the platform removes it from the platform itself, but Google may still have a cached version in its search results for a while. You can ask Google to remove the page from its search results using Google Search Console, but this takes time. If the post is sensitive, contact the platform's support team for additional options.
Can I delete a post on someone else's profile?
No. You can only delete posts that you wrote yourself. If someone else posted something on your profile or tagged you in a post, you can ask them to delete it, or you can remove the tag from your profile. Some platforms also let you hide posts from your timeline without deleting them.
Is there a way to delete all my posts at once?
Most platforms do not have a bulk delete feature for posts. You have to delete them one at a time. Some third-party tools claim to delete multiple posts at once, but these are risky — they often require your password and may violate the platform's terms of service. It is safer to delete posts manually or contact the platform's support team if you want to delete your entire account.