5 Simple Ways to Delete a Post on Instagram

Easy-to-follow steps to delete or archive posts on Instagram

Co-authored by Jenna Jean Davis

Last Updated: December 18, 2024 Tested

Sometimes, we get trapped in a sticky situation where we post something unintentionally on a huge social media platform like Instagram. Whether it was intentional or not, you do have a chance to delete the post. This wikiHow will teach you how to delete a post on Instagram.

Things You Should Know

To delete an Instagram post, open it using the mobile app on your smartphone.
Tap the vertical or horizontal three-dot menu icon.
Tap "Delete" and confirm that you want to permanently erase that post.

Steps

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1
Open Instagram. The Instagram icon is a multicolored camera front. Click the icon, which will open your Instagram home page if you're logged in.
- Log in if you haven't already.
2
Make sure that you are on a mobile device. You can only post and delete your posts if you are on a mobile device. It doesn't work if you are on a computer.
- You can view your posts on a computer, however.
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Reconsider deleting the post. If it has many likes and several comments already, it might be a bit hard to delete it. Think twice before removing it.
4
Click the ⋮ on the top-right corner of the post. It'll open a subpage with several options.
After clicking the option, you'll get a notification, which asks you to confirm whether you want to delete it. Confirm it again if you're sure.

Tip: If you want to save the post, tap the "Archive" button. This will save the post, and it'll only be visible to you. You can delete it later on if you'd like.

Community Q&A

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Question

When you delete a photo on Instagram is it gone forever?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Not right away! Instagram recently added a “recently deleted” feature to their app that allows you to restore deleted photo or video posts, as long as you do it within 30 days. With deleted stories, you only have 24 hours. If you want to keep a post but not have it visible to the public, you can also archive it.

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Question

Can you delete a picture from an Instagram post with multiple photos?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to do this. You’d need to delete the entire post and then re-upload it, this time without the unwanted picture.

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Question

How many posts can you delete from Instagram in a day?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Staff Answer

There’s no clear limit, but some people report getting error messages if they try to delete more than 5-10 posts in a row. If this happens, wait a little while, then come back and try again.

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