You can delete a TikTok video in under a minute from your profile
Open TikTok and go to your profile by tapping the person icon at the bottom right. Find the video you want to remove, tap the three dots in the corner of that video, and select Delete. The video disappears from your profile when ready. Anyone who tries to watch it through a link will see a message that the video is no longer available.
Deletion is permanent — TikTok does not keep a recoverable copy. Once you confirm the delete, the video is gone from your account, the For You page, and anywhere else it appeared on TikTok's platform. If the video was shared outside TikTok (screenshotted, downloaded, or posted elsewhere), those copies remain wherever they were saved, but TikTok itself no longer hosts it.
Key Takeaways
- Tap the three dots on any video in your profile, then select Delete to remove it permanently.
- Deletion takes effect when ready and cannot be undone, so make sure before you confirm.
- Removing a video stops new people from finding it, but does not erase copies that were already downloaded or shared elsewhere.
- If you want to hide a video without deleting it, you can make it private so only you can see it.
- Videos that violate TikTok's rules may be removed by TikTok itself, and you will receive a notification explaining why.
The exact steps to delete from your phone
Open the TikTok app and tap the profile icon — it looks like a person — at the bottom right of your screen. Scroll through your videos until you find the one you want to remove. Tap the three vertical dots (sometimes called a menu icon) that appear in the bottom right corner of the video thumbnail.
A menu will pop up with several options. Look for the word Delete and tap it. TikTok will ask you to confirm — it will say something like "Are you sure you want to delete this video?" Tap Delete again to confirm. The video is now gone from your profile and from TikTok's servers.
What happens after you delete
The video stops appearing on your profile page when ready. Anyone who saved the link to that video will see an error message or a blank page if they try to watch it. The video will not show up in search results, in the For You page, or in anyone's feed.
However, if someone downloaded the video before you deleted it, they still have a copy on their phone or computer. If the video was screenshotted or reposted to another platform, those copies exist outside of TikTok and you cannot remove them from there. Deletion only removes the video from TikTok itself.
Hiding a video instead of deleting it
If you are not sure whether you want to delete a video permanently, you can make it private instead. This hides it from everyone except you, but keeps it on your account so you can change your mind later. To do this, tap the three dots on the video, select Privacy settings, and choose Private. Only you will be able to see it in your profile.
A private video will not appear on the For You page, in search results, or on anyone else's feed. You can make it public again at any time by going back to the privacy settings and selecting Public. This is useful if you want to pause sharing something without losing it entirely.
When TikTok removes a video for you
TikTok may delete a video on its own if it breaks the platform's community guidelines. Common reasons include videos with hate speech, violence, sexual content, or misinformation. You will receive a notification in your inbox explaining that a video was removed and which rule it violated.
If your video was removed, you can appeal the decision by tapping the notification and selecting Appeal. TikTok will review your video again. If you disagree with the removal, explaining your case in the appeal can sometimes result in the video being restored, though this is not may provide.
Deleting videos from a computer
You can also delete videos from TikTok's website on a computer. Log into your account at tiktok.com, click your profile icon in the top right, and select Creator Studio or go directly to your profile. Find the video you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select Delete. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
The process is the same as on your phone — the video is permanently removed and cannot be recovered. Use whichever device is easiest for you; the result is identical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a deleted video back?
No. Once you delete a video from TikTok, it is permanently gone and cannot be recovered. TikTok does not keep backups of deleted videos. If you think you might want the video later, read it to your phone or computer before you delete it from the app.
Will deleting a video remove all the likes and comments?
Yes. When you delete a video, all likes, comments, and shares associated with it disappear as well. The video and all its engagement data are removed from TikTok's platform.
Does deleting a video affect my follower count?
No. Deleting a video does not change how many followers you have. Your follower count stays the same whether you delete one video or ten videos.
What if someone downloaded my video before I deleted it?
You cannot remove a video from someone else's device. If they downloaded it or screenshotted it before you deleted it, they still have a copy. Deletion only removes the video from TikTok's servers, not from copies that were already saved elsewhere.
Can I delete multiple videos at once?
No. TikTok requires you to delete videos one at a time. There is no bulk delete feature, so if you want to remove several videos, you will need to go through each one individually using the three-dot menu.