With over 2 billion active users, Facebook has become the most popular social media platform for sharing photos and life updates. While many love the ability to easily share photos with friends and family, sometimes photos are posted that you don’t want associated with your profile. If someone else tags you in an unflattering, embarrassing, or inappropriate photo, you may want to remove the tag or delete the photo altogether. But is it actually possible to delete tagged photos on Facebook?
Can you untag yourself from photos on Facebook?
Yes, it is possible to untag yourself from photos that you are tagged in on Facebook. When someone tags you in a photo, you will get a notification on Facebook. Go to the photo and click on your name tag. This will bring up the option to remove the tag. Click “Remove Tag” and your name will no longer appear on the photo. Keep in mind this only removes your name tag – it does not delete the photo. The photo will still appear in your timeline unless you take further action to remove it.
Steps to untag yourself on Facebook:
- Go to the photo you are tagged in via the notification or by scrolling through your timeline.
- Hover over your name tag and click the “X” icon.
- A pop-up will appear asking “Do you want to remove this tag?” Click “Remove Tag.”
- The tag will be removed but the photo will still be visible.
Can you delete photos you are tagged in on Facebook?
Unlike untagging yourself, deleting a photo you are tagged in is more complicated on Facebook. There are a few options you can try though:
Ask the person who posted to remove it
The easiest option is to directly ask the person who uploaded the photo to remove it. They should be able to delete the photo from their Facebook entirely. Send them a message or post on the photo asking them to take it down.
Report the photo
If the poster won’t remove the photo, you can report it to Facebook. Click the three dots in the upper right corner and select “Report post” or “Report photo.” Choose “I don’t like this photo” as the reason. Facebook will review the photo and determine if it violates their Community Standards policies. If so, they will remove it.
Request a takedown
If the image violates your privacy rights or copyright, you can submit a more formal request for Facebook to take it down. Go to the Help Center and search for “reporting privacy violations” or “reporting copyright infringement” to get instructions on submitting a detailed request.
Restrict visibility
Using the audience selector tool, you may be able to limit visibility of the photo so only the poster can see it. Click the three dots at the top of the post, select “Who can see this?” and choose an option like “Only Me” or customize it.
What happens when you untag yourself on Facebook?
When you untag yourself from a photo on Facebook:
- Your name will no longer appear on the photo or link back to your profile.
- The photo will still be visible to anyone the post was originally shared with.
- The photo will remain on your Facebook timeline unless you take steps to remove it.
- You’ll stop getting notifications about new likes or comments on it.
In other words, untagging yourself does not delete or remove the photo – it just disconnects your name and profile from that specific image.
Can someone else tag you again after untagging?
Yes, after you untag yourself the person who originally posted the photo can tag you in it again. To prevent them from retagging you, you will need to request they remove the post entirely. Unlike Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms, there is no way to permanently disallow someone from tagging you repeatedly on the same Facebook post.
What happens if you delete a tagged photo on Facebook?
If you do succeed in getting a tagged photo fully deleted from Facebook (not just untagged), here is what will happen:
- The photo will no longer appear on your timeline or the uploader’s.
- No one will be able to view or search for the deleted photo.
- The photo will be permanently removed from Facebook’s servers.
- Tags and comments on the photo will also be erased.
Deleting a photo removes it entirely, while untagging only disconnects your name from the image without removing it.
Can you view old untagged photos?
Is there a way to see all the photos you’ve untagged in the past? Unfortunately, no. Once you untag yourself from a photo, there is no album or list to view old untagged photos.
The best way to keep track of photos you’ve untagged is to screenshot them before removing the tag. That way you’ll have a copy if you ever need to reference them again.
What happens when a photo you’re tagged in is deleted?
When the original poster deletes a photo you were previously tagged in, it will simply disappear from your timeline as well. You will not get a specific notification it was deleted.
To check if any old tagged photos have been recently deleted, browse back through your timeline. If you see blank spaces where a tagged photo used to be, likely the poster removed it.
Can you delete tagged photos on Facebook from a computer?
Yes, you can untag yourself and request deletions for tagged photos through the Facebook website, not just the mobile app. Simply visit Facebook from a desktop web browser and use these steps:
- Go to the photo and click your tag to open the pop-up menu.
- Choose Remove Tag or click the X icon to untag yourself.
- To request removal, click the three dots at the top and select Find Support or Report.
The process works the same whether you are on a mobile device or computer web browser.
Does deleting Facebook remove tagged photos?
If you choose to delete your Facebook account entirely, any photos you were tagged in by others will also be removed from Facebook. However, deleting a Facebook account does not necessarily remove the data from their servers – it just disconnects your profile from that data.
If you simply deactivate your account, your profile is hidden but not deleted. In that case, tagged photos would remain attached to your account until you permanently deleted it.
Can people tag your deleted account in new photos?
No. Once your Facebook account is fully deleted, others will no longer have the ability to tag your account in new posts. Any recent tags will say “Facebook User” instead of your name. Your profile will be entirely disconnected from new content.
Conclusion
While untagging yourself is easy on Facebook, completely removing unwanted tagged photos often proves more difficult. The best options are to either ask the poster to delete it, report it if it violates standards, or submit a formal request for its removal. Unlike other platforms, Facebook does not allow users to dissociate themselves fully from content they are tagged in without taking these extra steps.
Carefully consider the benefits and risks before choosing to delete your Facebook account. While it does provide the nuclear option for removing all unwanted tagged photos in one swoop, it also means losing access to contacts, images, and memories you may want to keep. Utilize the platform’s privacy tools or reach out to individual uploaders before resorting to full deletion.
Summary of Key Points
- You can untag yourself from photos easily, but removing the actual photo is difficult.
- Ask the uploader to delete it, report it to Facebook, or submit a takedown request.
- Untagging only disconnects your name, deleting removes the image entirely.
- Consider untagging or restricting visibility before account deletion.
- Deleted accounts cannot be tagged in new photos going forward.
While social media tagging is meant to be fun and collaborative, it inevitably results in some unwanted tags. With knowledge of the available options and a few clicks, you can curate the photos attached to your profile and maintain your online reputation.
Facebook’s complicated stance on removing unwanted tags provides important lessons for thinking carefully before sharing photos – or oversharing – on social media profiles to begin with. But when unwanted old photos do arise, you have a few tools at your disposal to disassociate yourself from them, even if complete deletion proves difficult. Handle tag removals with care and understanding to maintain real world relationships as well as your online presence.
For most people, being selectively tagged by friends and family in appropriate photos that represent positive memories brings more joy than frustration. But accidental oversharing happens. Now that you know how to hide and dissociate yourself from undesired tagged photos without destroying them forever, you can comfortably continue capturing and sharing memories without worrying about the occasional unwanted tag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bulk untag myself from multiple Facebook photos?
No, unfortunately Facebook does not have a bulk untagging option. You have to remove tags one photo at a time manually.
Do all photo deletions go through a review process?
No, only if the photo is reported for removal will Facebook review it against their policies. Deletions initiated by the original poster are immediately removed.
Can someone tag me in a deleted photo if they re-upload it?
Yes, if someone deletes and re-uploads a photo elsewhere you can be tagged in it again. The only way to prevent this is to request they not tag you.
Does untagging prevent the photo from showing up on my profile?
No, untagging yourself only removes your name, not the photo. Others can still see the photo on your profile unless it is deleted.
Can I request removal of a tag/photo without unfriending or blocking the poster?
Yes, you can send removal requests for any photo you’re tagged in without unfriending or blocking the account who posted it.
| Action | Effect on You | Effect on Photo |
|---|---|---|
| Untag yourself | Name disconnected | Photo remains |
| Report photo | Awaits removal | Faces review |
| Submit request | Awaits removal | Faces review |
| Delete account | All tags removed | Photos untouched |
This summarizes the main options for getting untagged on Facebook and their effects.
In Conclusion
Untagging yourself from photos on Facebook is a simple process, but getting unwanted tagged photos deleted for good requires extra steps. While frustrating, this upholds a balance of control between the poster and tagged user. When tagged in an inappropriate photo, report or submit a removal request before considering deletion of your account altogether. Handle tag removals with care to maintain positive real world relationships.