Delete a post from your timeline in three steps
To delete a post on Facebook, open the post, tap or click the three dots in the upper right corner, select "Delete," and confirm. The post disappears from your timeline and from other people's feeds when ready. Facebook keeps a record in your activity log for 90 days, but the post itself is gone from public view right away.
The exact location of the three dots depends on whether you're on a computer or phone, but the process is the same. On a computer, hover over the post to see the dots appear. On a phone, the dots are usually visible without hovering. If you don't see them, the post may have been shared by someone else, or your account settings may restrict what you can delete.
Once you delete a post, anyone who saw it before deletion may remember it, but they won't be able to click through to it or see it in your timeline anymore. Shares and comments on that post also disappear from public view.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted posts disappear from your timeline and other people's feeds when ready, though Facebook stores a record for 90 days.
- You can only delete posts you created yourself — you cannot delete comments or posts made by other people on your timeline.
- If you want to hide a post instead of deleting it, you can archive it so only you can see it in your activity log.
- Deleting a post does not notify the people who liked or commented on it, but they will notice it is no longer visible.
Find the delete option on different devices
On a desktop computer, move your mouse over the post you want to delete. A three-dot menu icon appears in the top right corner of the post. Click those three dots and select "Delete" from the dropdown menu. A confirmation box appears asking "Are you sure?" — click "Delete Post" to confirm.
On an iPhone or Android phone using the Facebook app, tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post. Scroll down the menu that appears and tap "Delete." You'll see a confirmation message — tap "Delete Post" to finish. If you're using Facebook in a mobile web browser instead of the app, the process is the same as on a computer.
If the three-dot menu doesn't appear, you may not have permission to delete that post. This happens if someone else created it, if it's a shared post from another page, or if your privacy settings restrict editing. In those cases, you can ask the original poster to delete it, or you can hide it from your timeline instead.
What happens to comments and reactions after you delete
When you delete a post, all the comments, likes, and reactions attached to it disappear too. People who commented on the post will see that their comment is no longer there, but they won't receive a notification that you deleted the post. They may notice when they go back to look for the conversation.
If someone shared your post to their own timeline before you deleted it, the original post on your timeline is gone, but their share remains on their timeline. You cannot delete a post from someone else's timeline — only they can do that. If you want to remove a post that someone else shared, you can ask them to delete it, or you can report it to Facebook if it violates their policies.
Archive a post instead of deleting it permanently
If you're not sure whether you want to delete a post forever, you can archive it instead. An archived post hides from your public timeline and from other people's feeds, but you can still see it in your activity log and restore it later. This is useful if you want to keep the post but don't want it visible right now.
To archive a post, tap or click the three dots on the post and select "Archive" instead of "Delete." The post disappears from your timeline when ready. To see archived posts, go to your activity log, filter by "Posts," and look for the "Archived" section. You can restore an archived post anytime by clicking the three dots and selecting "Unarchive."
Delete posts in bulk from your activity log
If you want to delete many posts at once, the activity log is faster than deleting them one by one. On a computer, click your profile picture in the top right, select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings," then "Your information and permissions," then "Activity log." On a phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll down to "Settings and privacy," tap "Settings," then find "Activity log."
In your activity log, you can filter by "Posts" to see only the posts you've created. Click or tap the three dots next to each post and select "Delete." You can also use the search or date filters to narrow down which posts you want to see. This method takes longer if you have hundreds of posts, but it lets you review each one before deleting.
Recover a deleted post within 30 days
Facebook keeps deleted posts in a temporary storage area for 30 days. If you delete a post by mistake, you can restore it during this window. Go to your activity log, click the filter icon, and select "Deleted" to see posts you've removed. Click the three dots next to the post you want to restore and select "Restore."
After 30 days, the post is permanently gone and cannot be recovered. If you think you might want to keep a post but hide it temporarily, archiving is a safer choice than deleting, since archived posts don't have a time limit for restoration.
Prevent others from seeing posts before you delete them
If you want to remove a post quickly before many people see it, you can change who can see it first, then delete it. Tap or click the three dots on the post and select "Edit privacy." Change the audience from "Public" or "Friends" to "Only me," which hides it from everyone except you. Then delete it using the normal process.
This approach is useful if you posted something by mistake and want to limit damage before you delete it entirely. Changing the privacy setting takes effect when ready, so people who try to view the post after that will see an error message instead of the content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a comment someone else made on my post?
Yes. You can delete any comment on your own posts, even if someone else wrote it. Tap or click the three dots on the comment and select "Delete." The person who wrote the comment won't be notified, but they'll see it's gone if they look back at the post. You can also hide comments from your timeline without deleting them by selecting "Hide" instead.
What if I delete a post but someone already shared it?
Your original post disappears from your timeline, but the share on the other person's timeline stays. You can ask them to delete their share, but you cannot delete it yourself. If the shared post violates Facebook's policies, you can report it to Facebook and they may remove it.
Does deleting a post remove it from Facebook's servers?
Facebook keeps a record of deleted posts for 90 days in case you want to restore them. After 90 days, the data is removed from active storage, though Facebook may retain some information for legal or security reasons. For practical purposes, the post is gone from public view when ready after you delete it.
Can I delete a post from a Facebook page I manage?
Yes, if you have admin or editor access to the page. The process is the same — tap or click the three dots on the post and select "Delete." Only people with permission to edit the page can delete posts from it.