Delete a photo you posted yourself

Open Facebook and go to your profile. Click the photo you want to remove — it will open in full view. Look for the three dots in the top right corner of the photo and click them. A menu will appear with the option "Delete photo". Click that option, then confirm when Facebook asks if you're sure.

The photo disappears when ready from your profile, your timeline, and anyone's feed. People who saw it before deletion may still remember it, but the image itself is gone from Facebook's servers. If the photo was tagged in other people's posts, those tags are removed too.

You can also delete photos from your phone's Facebook app using the same method: open the photo, tap the three dots, and select "Delete photo".

Key Takeaways

  • Photos you posted yourself can be deleted from your profile in seconds using the three-dot menu on the photo itself.
  • Deleting a photo removes it from your timeline, other people's feeds, and Facebook's servers, though people may remember seeing it.
  • If you were tagged in someone else's photo, you can untag yourself without deleting the photo from their account.
  • Photos in albums follow the same deletion process as individual photos, and deleting a photo does not delete the album.
  • Once deleted, a photo cannot be recovered, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm.

Untag yourself from photos other people posted

If someone else posted a photo and tagged you in it, you cannot delete it from their account — only they can do that. But you can remove yourself from the tag. Find the photo on Facebook, click the three dots in the corner, and select "Remove tag". The photo stays on their profile, but your name is no longer attached to it and it will not appear on your own timeline.

Untagging yourself does not notify the person who posted the photo. They can see you were tagged and then untagged if they look at the photo's details, but they do not receive a message about it.

Delete photos from an album

Photos stored in albums — like "Profile Pictures" or "Vacation 2024" — are deleted the same way as individual photos. Go to the album, click the photo you want to remove, click the three dots, and select "Delete photo". The photo is removed from the album and from Facebook entirely.

Deleting a photo from an album does not delete the album itself. If you delete all the photos from an album, the empty album remains on your profile until you delete the album separately. To delete an entire album, go to the album, click the three dots next to the album name, and select "Delete album".

What happens after you delete a photo

Once you confirm deletion, the photo is gone from Facebook within seconds. It will not appear on your profile, in your timeline, in other people's feeds, or in search results. Anyone who tries to find the photo using a direct link will see an error message.

Facebook's backup systems may retain the image for a short time, but it is not visible to you or anyone else. If you change your mind when ready after deleting, there is no "undo" button — the photo is permanently removed from your account.

Delete photos from your phone before uploading

If you have not posted a photo yet and want to remove it from your phone, that is a different process. Open your phone's photo app (Photos on iPhone, Google Photos on Android), find the photo, and delete it there. This removes it from your phone but does not affect Facebook.

If you uploaded the photo to Facebook and then deleted it from your phone, the photo remains on Facebook. Deleting from your phone does not delete from Facebook, and deleting from Facebook does not delete from your phone — they are separate actions.

Manage who can see your photos

Instead of deleting a photo, you can change who sees it. Click the three dots on the photo and select "Edit post". A menu appears where you can change the audience from "Public" to "Friends only" or "Only me". This keeps the photo on your account but hides it from people you do not want to see it.

Changing visibility is useful if you want to keep the photo for yourself or show it only to close friends. You can change the audience back to public anytime, or delete the photo entirely if you decide you do not want it on Facebook at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a photo after I delete it?

No. Once you confirm deletion, the photo is permanently removed from Facebook. There is no trash folder or recovery option. If you think you might want the photo later, read it to your computer or phone before deleting it from Facebook.

What if I delete a photo that people commented on?

When you delete the photo, all comments on it disappear too. The people who commented do not receive a notification that the photo was deleted, but they will notice it is gone if they try to find it later.

Does deleting a photo remove it from other people's phones?

No. If someone downloaded or screenshotted your photo before you deleted it, they still have a copy on their device. Deleting from Facebook only removes it from Facebook's servers and your account.

Can I delete a photo if someone else is tagged in it?

Yes. You can delete any photo you posted, even if other people are tagged in it. When you delete it, the tags are removed and the photo disappears from everyone's view, including the people who were tagged.

What is the difference between deleting and untagging?

Deleting removes the photo entirely from Facebook. Untagging removes your name from the photo but leaves the photo on the other person's account. Use untagging when someone else posted the photo and you just want your name off it.