Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with billions of users posting updates, photos, videos, and more on their feeds every day. With so much information being shared, sometimes posts are made that users later regret or want to remove. Thankfully, Facebook provides relatively simple options for deleting posts so they can no longer be viewed.
Can You Fully Delete a Post on Facebook?
When you delete a post on Facebook, it is not immediately erased from existence. The post is simply removed from your profile and news feed so that you and others can no longer see it. However, a copy of the post may still exist on Facebook’s servers for some time. This is important to understand when asking how to permanently delete a post.
There are a few key factors to be aware of regarding deleting Facebook posts:
- When you delete a post, it is no longer visible to anyone else on Facebook. Other users will not be able to see or access the post in any way.
- The post may still exist in Facebook’s system for a short time after it is deleted. Facebook regularly clears out and deletes old post data, but cannot guarantee exactly when your deleted post will be permanently erased.
- If other users shared your post via their own News Feed, reshared it, or took screenshots, they may still have access to the post through those channels even after you delete it.
- Deleted posts can be recovered for a limited time. If you change your mind shortly after deletion, you can often still undo the action and recover the post.
In summary, when you ask “how to delete a Facebook post so no one sees it,” the post will become invisible on Facebook immediately but may not be completely erased from existence for some time. For most intents and purposes though, the post is inaccessible after being deleted.
How to Delete a Post on Facebook
Deleting a post on Facebook is a simple process that can be done in just a few steps:
Delete Post from Desktop
- Log into your Facebook account on a desktop computer and navigate to your profile page.
- Find the post you want to delete and click the three dots “…” icon in the top right corner of the post.
- Select “Delete Post” from the dropdown menu.
- Confirm that you want to delete the post when prompted.
Delete Post from Mobile App
- Open the Facebook app on your mobile device and tap on your profile icon.
- Tap on the three horizontal lines “hamburger” menu icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Activity Log” from the sidebar menu.
- Find the post you want to delete and tap on it to open.
- Tap on the three dots “…” icon in the top right corner.
- Tap on “Delete” and confirm when prompted.
Once you confirm the deletion on either desktop or mobile, the post will be immediately removed and invisible to anyone else. This is the quickest and easiest way to delete a post from public view.
How to Delete a Post on Facebook That’s Visible to You Only
If you shared a post then immediately regretted it, you may have already quickly switched the audience to “Only Me” so that you are the only one who can view it. Posts set to be visible to “Only Me” are essentially already deleted from public view. However, you can take the additional step of fully deleting it so that it’s no longer visible even to yourself:
- From your profile, click on the three horizontal lines “hamburger” menu icon in the top corner.
- Select “Activity Log” from the sidebar menu.
- In the left sidebar, click on “Your Posts” to view only your own posts.
- Locate the post that’s visible only to you and click on it.
- Click on the three dots “…” icon in the top corner and select “Delete.”
- Confirm deletion when prompted.
This will permanently erase the post so that it’s no longer taking up space on Facebook’s servers and is not accessible to anyone in any way.
How to Delete a Post You’re Tagged In
What if someone else has tagged you in an undesirable post? You can delete a post you’re tagged in just as easily as your own:
- Go to your own profile page and click “Photos.”
- Click on “Photos of You” at the top.
- Find the post you’re tagged in that you want to delete. Hover your mouse over it and click on the “Options” icon.
- Select “Report/Remove Tag.”
- Choose to “Remove Tag” from the post.
This will untag you from the post without deleting the original poster’s content.
If you want the post fully deleted, you will need to ask the original poster to remove it themselves. Unlike when handling your own content, you cannot directly delete a post made by someone else even if you are tagged.
How to Hide a Post From Certain People
Instead of deleting a post entirely, you can also choose to hide it from select people rather than your whole audience. This allows you to limit its visibility rather than removing it completely:
- Click the three dots “…” icon in the top right corner of the post and select “Edit Audience.”
- In the dropdown menu, choose “Custom” to manually select who can see the post.
- Uncheck the box next to any person or group you want to hide the post from.
- Click “Confirm” to save the audience settings.
This will prevent the unchecked people from being able to view or access the post in the future.
How to Delete a Post on Facebook After Being Shared
Deleting a post after others have already shared it can be tricky. Even if you delete your original post, copies shared by others may still exist. Here are your options if a post has already been reshared by people in your network:
- Delete the original post anyway. This will remove it from your profile and prevent further reshares.
- Ask those who have shared your post to also delete it. Comments on a post can be deleted in the same way as posts.
- Report shared instances of your post to Facebook. Under certain circumstances, Facebook may be willing to remove re-shared content at your request if it violates privacy.
- Switch the audience on your original post to exclude those who have reshared it so they can no longer see the content.
Once something is shared online it can be impossible to gain full control over it again. But taking the above steps can help limit a post’s visibility after it has been reshared.
How Long Does It Take for a Deleted Facebook Post to Disappear?
When you ask “how long does it take for a deleted Facebook post to disappear?”, the answer is that it will disappear from public view immediately but may still exist in backups or caches for an undetermined amount of time after.
Here’s an overview of how long data from deleted posts may persist:
- Instantly invisible to all users on Facebook
- May still exist in Facebook’s servers for weeks or months
- Could remain in Facebook’s backups or archives indefinitely
- May persist in the caches of search engines for days or weeks
- Could remain on users’ devices if they saved or screenshotted it
So while the post will vanish from public sight right away, traces of it could linger in other spots across the internet or in people’s personal archives. But on Facebook itself, it will become inaccessible within seconds of hitting the “Delete” button.
How to Permanently Delete Deactivated Facebook Posts and Account
If you choose to fully deactivate or delete your Facebook account, your posts will disappear along with the rest of your profile. However, this content and data may continue to exist in Facebook’s system for some time:
- When you deactivate your account, your information remains but is hidden from view.
- If you reactivate your account within 30 days, all your old data is restored.
- After 30 days, deactivated accounts may be permanently deleted with data unrecoverable.
- Immediately deleting your account wipes profile info but backups may persist internally.
To maximize the deletion of your Facebook presence and posts, it’s best to manually delete old posts and photos first. Then deactivate your account and wait at least 30 days before trying to reactivate it. At that point, your account and some lingering data may be purged from their systems.
Mistakes to Avoid When Deleting Facebook Posts
When hurriedly deleting posts, it’s easy to make mistakes that lead to content sticking around longer than expected. Avoid these common mistakes:
- Deleting from your timeline but not activity log – Be sure to remove posts from all locations to avoid leaving traces behind.
- Forgetting about old posts – Check your archive and delete old posts, not just recent ones.
- Assuming it’s fully deleted immediately – Remember that backups and caches mean traces could remain for some time after deletion.
- Not checking tags – Delete any instances where you’re tagged in others’ undesirable posts as well.
- Deleting before unsaving shares – If you shared the post first then delete it, those shares will still exist.
Taking the extra time to thoroughly delete posts from all locations and shares is key to making sure you’ve minimized its footprint.
Can You Recover a Deleted Facebook Post?
In some cases, it is possible to recover a deleted Facebook post. Here are some potential ways to get back a deleted post if you act quickly enough:
- Use the “Undo” option immediately after deleting to cancel deletion.
- Find the post in your Facebook activity log and hit “Undo.”
- Use a cached version from a search engine if it was indexed.
- Retrieve it from a site archive like archive.org’s Wayback Machine.
- Recover it on your desktop if you have backup software enabled.
- Ask people who shared or interacted with the post if they have a copy.
If a significant amount of time has passed, your chances of recovering a deleted post diminish quickly. But for recently removed content, it may be possible to get it back if you act fast.
Does Deleting Facebook Posts Affect Your Account?
In most cases, periodically deleting your old Facebook posts will not negatively impact your account standing. Here is how deleting posts interacts with your account:
- Routine post deletion is fine and will not trigger account restrictions.
- Mass deleting or hiding a large portion of your posts at once may seem suspicious.
- Deleting and reposting the same post repeatedly can seem like spam and cause issues.
- Post deletion is tracked in your activity log which Facebook monitors.
- If violating Facebook policy, deleted posts could still contribute to account restriction.
Essentially, regularly deleting a post here and there will not be a problem. But if you delete way more than you post over time or repeat suspicious patterns, Facebook could potentially investigate for spamming behavior or policy violations. But occasional, everyday post deletions are totally normal and accepted.
Should You Delete Old Facebook Posts?
Is it a good idea to delete old Facebook posts every so often? Here are some pros and cons to weigh when considering deleting old posts:
Pros
- Removes embarrassing, irrelevant, or outdated content
- Limits sensitive personal information being online
- Can help manage your online reputation
- Makes your profile cleaner and more streamlined
- Old connections may no longer need to see some posts
Cons
- Loses historical record of life events and memories
- Removes context for more recent posts or photos
- Could be time consuming if you have a lot of old posts
- People may still have shared or saved posts already
Overall, periodically clearing your old Facebook posts that are no longer relevant or desirable can be beneficial. But be mindful of losing meaningful posts as well.
Can You Archive Facebook Posts?
Facebook does not have a built-in archiving option to simply remove posts from your profile’s view but retain them internally. However, there are a few workaround options to archive posts rather than fully delete them:
- Download your full Facebook data archive from Settings to save posts externally.
- Use third-party Facebook post “archive” browser extensions or apps.
- Make posts “Only Me” visible so they are archived from public view.
- Take screenshots or downloads of important posts to archive before deleting.
While not a native Facebook feature, archiving apps and extensions can help preserve important memories or milestones even if you want to remove the original post from your profile.
Conclusion
Deleting Facebook posts is a straightforward process, but being mindful of when backups and cached versions may still exist is important. Avoid common mistakes like mass deletions or undeleting and reposting the same post when possible. While deleting old posts that are outdated or unnecessary can be beneficial, be thoughtful about losing meaningful memories as well.
Overall, deleting the occasional Facebook post to curate your profile is totally normal. Just be strategic about which posts you choose to delete and when so that you can shape the appearance you want while protecting your privacy.