Delete posts one at a time from your timeline
The fastest way to remove a single old post is to find it on your timeline, click the three dots in the top right corner of that post, and select Delete. Facebook removes it when ready — it no longer appears on your profile, in your friends' feeds, or in search results. The post is gone within seconds.
If you cannot see the three dots, hover your mouse over the post first. On mobile, tap and hold the post until a menu appears. You do not need to confirm the deletion; clicking Delete removes it right away.
This method works for any post you wrote yourself — status updates, photos you uploaded, links you shared, or videos you posted. It does not work for posts other people tagged you in or posted on your wall, which you can only hide or ask the other person to remove.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete your own posts one at a time by clicking the three dots on each post and selecting Delete.
- Facebook's bulk delete tool lets you remove many posts at once by filtering by date range, but you must review and confirm each batch.
- Deleted posts disappear from your timeline, your friends' feeds, and search results within seconds.
- You cannot delete posts other people wrote on your wall, but you can hide them from your timeline or ask the person who posted to remove it.
- Archiving a post hides it from your timeline without deleting it, which is useful if you want to keep it but do not want others to see it.
Use Facebook's activity log to delete posts in bulk
If you have many old posts to remove, Facebook's activity log lets you filter by date and delete multiple posts without visiting each one. Open your profile, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select Activity Log. On mobile, tap your profile picture, then tap the menu, then Activity Log.
In the activity log, click the filter icon on the left side and select Posts to show only posts you wrote. You can then filter by year or date range — for example, to see only posts from 2019 or earlier. Facebook displays all matching posts in a list.
Next to each post, you will see a small icon (usually a pencil or three dots). Click it and select Delete. You must delete each post individually even when using the activity log — Facebook does not offer a "select all and delete" option. However, this method is faster than scrolling your timeline because all the posts you want to remove are already gathered in one place.
Archive posts instead of deleting them
If you are unsure whether you want to keep a post, archiving hides it from your timeline and other people's view without permanently removing it. You can unarchive it later if you change your mind. To archive a post, click the three dots on it and select Archive instead of Delete.
Archived posts remain in your activity log and in your own records, but they do not appear on your profile or in your friends' feeds. This is useful for posts you may want to reference later — old photos, important announcements, or memories — without displaying them publicly right now.
To see your archived posts, go to your activity log, and you will see an option to filter by Archived. From there, you can unarchive any post to restore it to your timeline, or delete it permanently if you decide you no longer want it.
Remove posts other people tagged you in
You cannot delete a post that someone else wrote, but you can remove it from your timeline so it no longer appears on your profile. Find the post on your timeline, click the three dots, and select Remove from Timeline. The post stays on the other person's profile and in their friends' feeds, but it disappears from yours.
If you want the post removed entirely, you can ask the person who posted it to delete it themselves. Click the three dots and select Send Message to Poster, or contact them directly and explain why you want it removed. They have the choice to delete it or leave it up.
If a post violates Facebook's rules — for example, it contains harassment, hate speech, or private information about you — you can report it instead. Click the three dots and select Report Post. Facebook reviews reported posts and may remove them if they break the platform's standards.
Delete posts from your phone or tablet
The process on mobile is nearly identical to desktop. Open the Facebook app, find the post you want to remove, and tap and hold it until a menu appears. Select Delete to remove it when ready.
To use the activity log on mobile, tap your profile picture at the bottom of the screen, then tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), then Activity Log. Tap the filter icon, select Posts, and choose your date range. Tap the icon next to each post and select Delete.
The mobile app works the same way as the website — deleted posts are gone within seconds, and you cannot delete posts other people wrote, only remove them from your own timeline.
What happens when you delete a post
When you delete a post, Facebook removes it from your profile, your friends' feeds, and search results. People who saw the post before you deleted it may remember it, but they cannot find it on Facebook anymore. The post does not appear in anyone's notifications or activity feed after deletion.
If someone shared your post before you deleted it, their share remains visible on their timeline and in their friends' feeds — deleting your original post does not remove shares of it. If you want to remove a share, you must ask the person who shared it to delete their version, or report it if it violates Facebook's rules.
Facebook keeps deleted posts in its servers for a short time before permanently removing them, but you cannot recover a deleted post yourself. If you deleted something by mistake, contact Facebook's support team, though recovery is not may provide.
Manage your privacy before deleting old posts
Before you delete posts, consider whether changing who can see them might be a better option. You can edit any post you wrote to change its audience — for example, making it visible only to close friends instead of everyone. Click the three dots on the post, select Edit Privacy, and choose who can see it.
This approach is useful for posts you want to keep but do not want strangers or distant acquaintances to see. You can make old posts visible to friends only, specific friend lists, or just yourself. This way, you keep the post in your own records without displaying it publicly.
If you are concerned about your overall privacy on Facebook, review your profile settings regularly. Go to Settings, then Privacy, and check who can see your posts, your friends list, and your profile information. Adjusting these settings affects all your posts, not just old ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a post after I delete it?
Facebook does not provide a way for you to recover deleted posts yourself. If you deleted something by mistake, you can contact Facebook's support team through the Help Center, but recovery is not may provide. For this reason, consider archiving posts instead of deleting them if you think you might want them later.
If I delete a post, do my friends still see it in their notifications?
No. Once you delete a post, it disappears from your friends' feeds and notifications. However, if someone shared your post before you deleted it, their share remains visible. Deleting your original post does not remove shares of it.
Can I delete comments other people left on my posts?
Yes. You can delete any comment on your own posts, even if someone else wrote it. Click the three dots on the comment and select Delete. The comment disappears from the post. You can also hide comments without deleting them by selecting Hide instead.
What is the difference between deleting and archiving?
Deleting removes a post permanently — it no longer appears on your timeline or in search results. Archiving hides a post from your timeline and other people's view, but keeps it in your activity log so you can restore it later if you change your mind.
Does deleting a post delete the photos or videos in it?
Deleting a post removes it from your timeline, but the original photo or video remains in your Facebook photo library or video storage. If you want to remove the image or video entirely, you must delete it separately from your photos or videos section.