Facebook keeps a record of all your interactions – likes, comments, shares, messages, etc. – by default. While this allows you to look back on your Facebook memories and activity, it also means your old posts and conversations remain visible unless you take action to remove them.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the various ways to delete old Facebook interactions, comments, posts, and messages. We’ll cover how to delete interactions in your News Feed, on your own timeline, in groups, and in Messenger. We’ll also provide tips on how to download your Facebook data for archiving before deletion.
Should I Delete Old Facebook Interactions?
Here are some reasons you may want to delete old Facebook interactions and posts:
- Reduce clutter in News Feed and timeline
- Hide embarassing/regrettable posts and comments
- Protect privacy and remove sensitive messages/info
- Disassociate yourself from certain people, groups, pages
- Start fresh with a clean slate
However, deleting old Facebook posts and messages is irreversible, so consider downloading an archive of your data first if you think you might regret removing certain interactions. We’ll go over how to download your Facebook data later in this guide.
How to Delete Interactions on News Feed
Your Facebook News Feed contains posts from friends, family, groups, and pages you follow. Any reactions, comments, and shares you’ve made to others’ posts live in your News Feed alongside those posts.
To unlike or delete reactions/comments on News Feed posts:
- Go to your News Feed by clicking Home on desktop or the tabs on mobile.
- Find the post you want to remove your interaction from.
- Hover over the like/reaction icon, comment, or share and click the “X” to unlike or delete.
This will immediately remove your activity from that post. Keep in mind the original post will remain unless the poster deletes it.
How to Delete All News Feed Interactions at Once
Rather than deleting individual News Feed interactions one by one, you can use this shortcut to remove all your activity from others’ posts in bulk:
- Click on the account menu (top right) > Settings & Privacy > Settings.
- Click on Your Facebook Information in the left column.
- Select “Your Interactions” > “Likes and Reactions.”
- In the dropdown, select “Hide All Reactions and Comments” or “Hide All Reactions” to delete in bulk.
This will instantly unlike/remove all your reactions, shares, and comments from other people’s posts in your News Feed. You can also choose to hide just reactions or just comments if preferred.
How to Delete Posts on Your Own Timeline
Any posts you’ve shared on your own Facebook profile live on your timeline. This includes text posts, photos, videos, check-ins, and life events. Just like interactions, these timeline posts remain public and visible unless you delete them.
To remove an individual Facebook post from your timeline:
- Go to your profile and click on your timeline to view posts.
- Find the post want to delete and click the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select “Delete” and confirm to remove the post.
To delete multiple timeline posts:
- Go to your profile and click the three dots at the top of your cover photo.
- Choose “Activity Log” and select “Your Posts” from the dropdown.
- Use the checkboxes to select multiple posts then click “Move to Trash” to delete.
Facebook will ask you to confirm before deleting posts from your timeline. Remember, deleting is permanent, so consider downloading a copy of your data first.
How to Hide Old Posts Without Deleting
If you don’t necessarily want to permanently erase old timeline posts, you can choose to hide them instead. Here’s how:
- Go to your profile and use the Activity Log steps above to access your posts.
- Click the three dots next to a post and choose “Hide from Timeline.”
- The post will be hidden from your timeline but not deleted.
To view and manage hidden posts:
- Access your Activity Log and click “Hidden from Timeline” in the filters.
- You can restore, delete, or clear all hidden posts here.
How to Delete Posts You’re Tagged In
When friends tag you in their posts, these tagged posts also appear on your own timeline by default. To untag yourself from a post on someone else’s timeline:
- Go to the post and click on the date/time to expand it.
- Hover over your name tag and click “Remove Tag.”
This will untag you from the post without deleting it from the original poster’s timeline. The post will no longer be visible on your own profile.
To bulk remove taggged posts:
- Access your Activity Log and select “Posts You’re Tagged In.”
- Use the checkboxes to select multiple posts then click “Remove Tags.”
How to Delete Comments and Reactions
Just like your own posts, any reactions and comments you’ve made on friends’ timelines will remain visible. To delete individual comments:
- Go to the post and find your comment.
- Hover over the comment and click the “X” icon to delete it.
To unlike reactions, hover over your reaction and click the “X” icon. This will undo the reaction.
To delete reactions and comments in bulk:
- Go to your Activity Log > Interactions > Comments.
- Select all comments you want to remove, then click “Delete Selection.”
Repeat this process to bulk delete reactions using the “Reactions” section of your Activity Log.
How to Delete Group Posts and Interactions
To remove posts and comments you’ve made in Facebook Groups:
- Go to the group and find the post or comment.
- Click the three dots in the top right corner and choose “Delete.”
To unlike reactions, hover over the reaction and click “X.”
To bulk delete group interactions, use the Activity Log steps covered earlier. Filter by “Groups” and manage your posts, comments, and reactions in bulk.
How to Leave Groups Completely
Rather than deleting individual interactions, you can also leave groups you no longer wish to be part of. Here’s how to leave a group:
- Go to the group’s main page and click “Membership” at the top.
- Click “Leave Group” and confirm when prompted.
Once you leave a group, you’ll no longer see any of its posts in your News Feed. Any of your past posts and comments will remain in the group unless a group admin chooses to delete them.
How to Delete Facebook Messenger Conversations
To delete individual Messenger conversations on mobile:
- Open the conversation thread.
- Tap your own profile pic at the top and tap “Delete and Exit.”
On desktop Messenger, click the thread name > Delete Conversation.
To bulk delete Messenger conversations:
- Open Messenger settings (click your profile pic) and select “Message Requests.”
- Click “Messages You’ve Sent” to view conversations.
- Use the checkboxes to select threads and click “Delete” to remove.
How to Delete Individual Messenger Messages
To delete a specific message you’ve sent in Messenger:
- Open the conversation thread.
- Hover your pointer over the message.
- Click the “X” icon to delete the message.
Note that you can only delete your own outgoing messages, not incoming messages from other people.
How to Download Your Facebook Data
Before deleting posts, comments, and other Facebook interactions, we recommend downloading a copy of your Facebook data for personal archiving.
Here’s how to download all your Facebook data:
- Click the down arrow in the top right and select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
- Click “Your Facebook Information” on the left sidebar.
- Click “View” under “Download Your Information.”
- Select date range and media types to include.
- Click “Create File” to request your download.
Facebook will assemble all your data selected – posts, photos, profile info, etc. – into a downloadable ZIP file. This provides a way to save memories even if you delete them from Facebook.
Keep in mind your downloaded Facebook data remains private and is not shared back to Facebook. Store and protect the files carefully if there is sensitive information included.
Important Things to Know About Deleting Facebook Interactions
Here are some key points to remember when deleting old posts, comments, and other Facebook interactions:
- Deleting is irreversible – consider downloading a copy of your data first.
- Deleting your content won’t delete it from other people’s timelines.
- Deleted interactions may still show up in other people’s News Feeds temporarily.
- Removing tags only untags posts from your profile.
- Leaving groups doesn’t delete past group interactions.
- You can only delete your own comments/messages, not others’ contributions.
- Deleted messages will disappear from your view but remain visible to recipients.
Essentially, deleting your own Facebook content removes it from your perspective only. It does not erase that content from Facebook entirely. Be thoughtful in what you choose to delete.
Conclusion
While Facebook doesn’t allow you to permanently erase all your past interactions, you can remove posts, likes, shares, and comments to clear out your News Feed, timeline, Messenger inbox, and groups.
Take advantage of bulk deletion options through your Activity Log to clean up old Facebook activity. And consider downloading a copy of your Facebook data before deleting anything to archive memories.
With this guide, you now have a better understanding of how to delete different types of interactions across Facebook. Remember to be selective in what you delete. And utilize privacy settings and audience selectors to restrict visibility of content you prefer to keep on Facebook.