How to Delete an Instagram Post

Delete or archive?

Before you delete, decide whether you want the post gone or just hidden.

If you're tidying your grid for a fresh look, archiving is the safer choice, and our guide to unarchiving Instagram posts shows how to bring them back. Before deleting anything you might want a copy of, save the original file; our saving guide covers the export options.

How to delete one Instagram post

On iPhone and Android

1. Open the post, reel or video on your profile.
2. Tap Options (three dots) above the post.
3. Tap Delete.
4. Tap Delete again to confirm.

On a computer

1. On instagram.com, open the post from your profile.
2. Click Options (three dots) above the post, then click Delete.
3. Click Delete again to confirm.

To archive instead, choose Archive in the same menu (on the phone app).

How to delete multiple posts at once

Bulk deleting is handy for clearing out years of old content, like a run of early selfies before a rebrand.

On iPhone and Android

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Below How you use Instagram, tap Your activity.
4. Below Content you shared, tap Posts.
5. Tap Select in the top right, then tap each post you want to remove.
6. To narrow the list first, tap Newest to oldest to change the sort order or All dates to pick a date range.
7. Tap Delete at the bottom, then Delete to confirm.

The same screen offers Archive instead of Delete if you'd rather hide the posts.

On a computer

1. Click Menu in the bottom left, then click Your Activity.
2. Click Photos and Videos, then choose Posts, Reels or Highlights at the top.
3. Click Select in the top right and choose what to delete. Use Sort & Filter to narrow by date, then click Apply.
4. Click Delete at the bottom and confirm.

For more on what you can manage from a browser, see using Instagram on a computer.

How to restore a deleted post from Recently deleted

Deleted photos, videos, reels and Stories are removed from your profile immediately and moved to Recently deleted. They're deleted automatically after 30 days, or within 24 hours for Stories that weren't in your Stories archive.

On iPhone and Android

1. Make sure your Instagram app is up to date.
2. Tap Profile, then Menu in the top right.
3. Below How you use Instagram, tap Your activity.
4. Below Removed and archived content, tap Recently deleted. If you haven't deleted anything recently, you may not see this option.
5. At the top, choose Posts, Reels and videos or Stories.
6. Tap the item you want back, then tap Options.
7. Tap Restore, then Restore again.

Instagram asks you to confirm you're the account owner before restoring or permanently deleting. That step is there to stop someone who gets into your account from wiping your content for good.

On a computer

Instagram documents Recently deleted in the Android and iPhone apps only. Use your phone to restore posts.

How to permanently delete a post right away

If you don't want a post sitting in Recently deleted for 30 days, remove it for good:

1. Go to Your activity > Recently deleted.
2. Tap the post, then tap Options.
3. Tap Delete, then Delete again, and complete the verification.

Once permanently deleted, it can't be restored from Instagram. Instagram says the deletion process can take up to 90 days to complete behind the scenes, and backup copies may be kept longer for disaster recovery or legal and safety reasons. During the 30 days in Recently deleted, the content isn't visible to anyone else.

Edit instead of deleting

Sometimes a small fix is better than starting over:

• Carousel with one bad image: open the post, tap Options > Edit, remove the photo or video, and tap Done. You can reorder items this way too, but you can't add new ones.
• Caption or tags: edit the caption, location and tagged accounts from the same Edit option, without losing engagement.
• Hashtag problem: if a post seems hidden from hashtag pages, check its tags against our banned hashtag checker and edit them rather than deleting the post.

If you do delete and repost, a fresh caption and a focused tag set (our newpost hashtags page is a start) helps the new version find its audience.

Troubleshooting

• No Recently deleted option. Update the app. The option can also be missing if you haven't deleted anything recently.
• Deleted post isn't in Recently deleted. It may be older than 30 days, or it was a Story that wasn't archived and passed the 24-hour window.
• Deleted messages. Instagram states deleted messages can't be restored, and they never appear in Recently deleted.
• A post was removed that you didn't delete. Instagram may have taken it down under its rules. Check your account notifications and read our summary of the Instagram Community Guidelines.
• Can't verify your identity. Make sure the email or phone number on your account is current in Accounts Center.