How to delete something on instagram


How to Delete an Instagram Post Permanently, or Archive It

  • You can delete an Instagram post from your feed by tapping the "Delete" option that's attached to all of your posts.
  • You can archive your Instagram post using a similar process, though archiving will only hide your photo from others instead of deleting it. 
  • Once you delete a post from Instagram, there's no way to recover it — you'll have to make another post.
  • This story is part of Business Insider's Guide to Instagram.

Instagram lets you post photos and videos on a feed and share your life with your followers, an activity that more than 1 billion people around the world participate in every month. It's also a great way to catalog your favorite memories, from birthdays and anniversaries to special meals or trips abroad. 

But what if you post something on Instagram that you didn't mean to, or decide later that you no longer want a post to appear on your account? It's possible to delete an Instagram post in just a few simple steps.

You can also archive posts instead of deleting them, so that they're visible to you and no one else. There's no way to recover a deleted post, from you can restore archived ones.

Here's how to delete or archive your Instagram posts on both your iPhone or Android. 

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How to delete an Instagram post

1. Open your phone's Instagram app and, in the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the profile icon.

2. On your Instagram profile page, find and tap the photo you want to delete. 

3. On the photo page, tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of your screen.

These three dots sit in a horizontal line to the right of your username above the photo. Abbey White/Business Insider

4. In the pop-up that appears, select the Delete option. 

Tap the top option, the red "Delete" button, to delete a post. Jennifer Still/Business Insider

5. In the next pop-up window that appears, select "Delete" again to permanently remove the photo. 

How to archive an Instagram post

Archiving a post will hide it from everyone but you.

1. Open Instagram and ap your profile icon in the bottom-right corner. 

2. Select the photo from your feed that you want to archive. 

3. Tap the three horizontal dots to the right of your username. 

4. Tap "Archive" from the pop-up menu that appears. 

Tap the second option, "Archive," to archive the post. Jennifer Still/Business Insider

And while you can't undelete a post, you can always un-archive posts. On the "Archive" page, simply tap on a post, click the three-dot menu at the top right of the screen, and select "Show on profile." This will return the post to your profile page, along with the comments and likes the post accrued prior to your archiving it.  

  • How to delete Instagram private messages, by deleting a conversation or unsending a message

  • How to get to your archive on Instagram and access old posts and stories for new use

  • How to set an age limit on your Instagram business account so that only users above a certain age can follow it

  • How to delete your Instagram account permanently, or temporarily deactivate it

  • How to contact Instagram for help with your account, or to report other accounts

Jennifer Still

Jennifer is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, New York, who spends her time traveling, drinking iced coffee, and watching way too much TV. She has bylines in Vanity Fair, Glamour, Decider, Mic, and many more. You can find her on Twitter at @jenniferlstill.

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The tricks you didn't know

Ah, the glory days of early 2010s Instagram. Back when using the Valencia filter on every photo was hip, and getting 25 likes was more than enough. Nothing was curated or “for the ’Gram,” and you could post pretty much anything you wanted, no matter how bad the lighting was. 

If you’ve ever found yourself wishing you could virtually erase the evidence of your first clumsy steps into social media, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about how to delete an Instagram post once and for all. 

In line with its reputation of being one of the most user-friendly social media apps available right now, Instagram makes deleting a post pretty easy.  

Here’s how to delete an Instagram post: 

  1. Open your Instagram app. 
  2. Press the person icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen to navigate to your profile. 
  3. Locate the photo you wish to delete. 
  4. Tap the three horizontal dots at the top-right of the screen. 
  5. Next, tap Delete. 
  6. Finally, tap Delete again to confirm.

When you follow the steps listed above, you’ll delete your Instagram post for good. That means the photo (or video), as well as any likes and comments it received, will be removed from your profile. 

If that all sounds a little too final for you, there is a way to remove photos from your home feed without losing them forever. 

How to delete an Instagram post with the possibility of recovery

Feeling a little attached to that unedited, slightly blurry photo of you and your college buddies? Then don’t delete it — archive it. 

Before 2017, the only option for removing unsightly photos from your profile was to delete them. The game changed forever when the Instagram Archive feature came along, which allowed you to remove a photo from the public (or private, depending on your privacy settings) view and store it in a secure folder for your eyes only. 

Found within the Instagram app, this private gallery is only visible to you. No one else can see it or access it. The best part? Archiving photos and videos is just as easy as deleting them. Here’s how to archive a post on Instagram: 

  1. Open your Instagram App. 
  2. Tap the person icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen to navigate to your profile. 
  3. Locate the photo you wish to archive. 
  4. Next, tap the three horizontal dots at the top-right of the photo. 
  5. Finally, tap Archive.

So, where do your photos go when you archive them? Here’s how to access your private archive gallery: 

  1. Open your Instagram app. 
  2. Press the person icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen to navigate to your profile.  
  3. Next, tap the three horizontal lines at the top-right of the screen. 
  4. Finally, tap Archive. 

And voila — that’s how you access your archive gallery. It’s where all of your private photos will live forever, or at least until you decide to make them public on your feed again. 

If you unarchive a photo, nothing crazy will happen. It will reappear on your profile again in the same spot on your timeline that you removed it from. No one will be notified. 

Here’s how to unarchive a photo: 

  1. Open your Instagram app. 
  2. Press the person icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen to navigate to your profile.
  3. Then, tap the three horizontal lines at the top-right corner of the screen. 
  4. Finally, tap Archive. 
  5. Locate the photo you want to unarchive. 
  6. Next, tap the three horizontal dots at the top-right corner of the photo. 
  7. Tap Show on Profile. 

Just as mysteriously as it disappeared, your formerly archived photo will reappear again.  

How to mass-delete your Instagram photos

If you’re looking to wipe your social media slate clean, the ideal way to do that would be to delete all your Instagram photos at once. The problem? Instagram doesn’t make that feature available. 

Thankfully, there are many third-party apps available to help you mass-delete photos. Here, we’ll show you how to delete multiple Instagram posts by using InstaClean, which is available for free in the App Store. 

Here’s how to mass-delete your photos with InstaClean: 

  1. Open the InstaClean app. 
  2. Log in with your Instagram account. 
  3. Authorize InstaClean to have access to your Instagram account. 
  4. Tap the Media button at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  5. Select all the photos you want to delete by tapping each image. 
  6. Tap the trash can button at the top-right corner of the screen. 
  7. Select Delete. 

The number of photos you can delete depends on how many “coins” you have. When you install the app, you automatically get 50 coins, and you can purchase additional coins or a subscription at any time. 

Other iPhone apps offer similar services, such as Cleaner for IG and Cleaner for Ins.

Can you restore your deleted pictures?

No, not through the Instagram app itself. At the time of this writing, Instagram will only recover photos that have been archived, not those you have deleted. If you delete a post, it is removed entirely from the app and can’t be restored. 

Even though all of a post’s likes and comments are gone, it is still possible to find an old photo or video on your iPhone. If you have Original Photos enabled within the Instagram app, any photos or videos you take or post (in Stories and on your feed) are automatically saved to your Camera Roll. That content can be found in a specific album in your Camera Roll titled Instagram. 

Here’s how to turn on the Original Photos feature: 

  1. Open your Instagram app.  
  2. Press the person icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen to navigate to your profile.
  3. Then, tap the three horizontal lines at the top-right corner of the screen. 
  4. Navigate to Settings > Account > Original Photos.
  5. Tap the toggle button to enable the feature. 

Another place to look for your deleted Instagram post is in the Recently Deleted folder in your Camera Roll. Photos and videos will stay in that folder for 30 days once deleted. 

Why can’t I delete my Instagram photos? 

You should be able to delete any of your photos, albeit individually, from the Instagram app. However, if you are trying to delete photos from the Instagram website on your desktop, you won’t be able to because Instagram currently doesn’t allow that. 

It’s also possible that you may have an outdated version of Instagram. Check your downloads in the App Store to see if there’s an upgrade available for your Instagram app. 

If none of the above solutions solve your problem, reach out to the Instagram Help Center for further assistance.  

That photo of a flower at an artsy angle you posted in 2012 doesn’t have to exist on your feed in 2020. By following some of the steps we laid out above, we hope you can edit and curate your home page with confidence — and with the delete button at your disposal. 

This was about:
  • Instagram
Emily Blackwood

Writer and editor, driven by curiosity and black coffee.

How to delete something on Instagram?

By Milena Anderson Reading 5 min. Views 1 Posted by

Short answer

  1. Open the app and go to your “profile”.
  2. Click on the "three lines" in the upper left corner and select "Settings". nine0014
  3. Scroll down and click Account.
  4. In the Posts You Like section, find the post you want to delete and tap the heart icon. It will change to a red square, which means it has been removed from your likes.

How to cancel saving Delete Delete saved Instagram posts All at once

How to delete saved Instagram posts

How to delete all saved Instagram posts? nine0003

To unsave all your posts on Instagram, you need to delete your account. Once your account is deleted, all of your posts will be removed from Instagram.

How do I undo an Instagram save?

There is no definitive way to unsave someone from Instagram. Some methods include blocking the user, deleting their account, or posting about them on Instagram.

Why can't I unsave posts on Instagram? nine0003

Instagram does not have an unsave feature because it is designed as a social media platform where people share photos and videos with their friends and followers. If you accidentally post something that you don't want others to see, you can delete the post or story before anyone sees it.

How can I not like something on Instagram?

To highlight something on Instagram, first open the post or story you want to exclude. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the post and select "Dislike". nine0003

Where do saved Instagram photos go?

Photos saved in your Instagram account are stored on Instagram's servers.

How do I edit a saved Instagram post?

To edit a saved Instagram post, first open the post and then tap the three dots in the top right corner. Click "Edit" and make the necessary changes. When you're done, click "Done" and your changes will be saved. nine0003

How do I cancel all posts on Instagram at once?

To highlight all Instagram posts at once, you can use either the web interface or the app. For the web interface, go to instagram.com and sign in. Click on the three lines in the top left corner and select "Settings". In the Accounts section, click Switch to Business Profile. You will be taken to a new screen with information about your business profile. Scroll down and click "Manage Posts" in the "Posts posted on your page" section. nine0003

Is there a limit on the number of posts I can save on Instagram?

The number of posts that can be saved on Instagram is unlimited. However, the application will only save the most recent messages if more than 50 messages have been saved.

How do I delete collections?

Collections can be deleted by opening the Collections tab, selecting the collection you want to delete, and then clicking the Delete button.

Does Instagram delete saved messages? nine0003

No, Instagram does not delete saved messages. Your messages are automatically saved to your account and you can access them at any time.

Where are the advanced settings on Instagram?

More settings on Instagram can be found by clicking on the three lines in the upper left corner of the main screen. From there select “Settings” and then “Advanced”.

How do I clear the Explore page on Instagram?

To clear your Instagram Explore page, you can either scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “See more posts” or simply unfollow any accounts you don't want to see on your Explore page. nine0003

How to make all messages dissimilar?

To exclude all posts in a specific topic or page:
Navigate to the topic or page for which you want to exclude all posts.
Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the post you want to undo.
Select "Cancel all publications".

Can you organize your saved Instagrams?

Yes, you can combine saved Instagram posts into albums. To do this, open the Instagram app and go to your profile. Tap the three bars in the top left corner of the screen, and then select Saved. Click the “+” at the top right corner of the screen and then create a new album. Name the album, add a description, and then select the posts you want to include. nine0003

Can you see if someone saved your Instagram post?

Yes, you can see if someone has saved your Instagram post. To see who saved your posts, open Instagram and go to your profile. Tap the three bars at the top left of the screen and select Saved. From here you will be able to see the people who have saved your messages.

Who saves my Instagram posts?

Your posts are automatically saved on Instagram if you have the "save to camera roll" feature turned on. This feature is enabled by default, but you can always turn it off in the settings. nine0003

Does Instagram notify you when a photo is saved?

Yes, when a photo is saved to Instagram, the person who originally posted the photo is notified.

How to remove likes on Instagram?

There is no clear way to remove likes on Instagram. You can either uninstall the app and download it again, or clear the cache and cookies. If you are using a web browser, you can also clear your browsing history and cookies.

Can I undo posts on Instagram? nine0003

Yes, you can dislike posts on Instagram. To unpublish, simply tap the “…” menu in the top right corner of the post and select “Dislike”.

How to delete an account on Instagram: instructions

Sometimes it is useful to take a break from social networks, but self-discipline allows this only to a few. Then deleting the profile comes to the rescue. We explain how to delete from Instagram permanently or temporarily, saving data

Since March 21, 2022, the social networks Facebook and Instagram have been banned in Russia by a court decision, and the Meta Platforms holding company that owns them has been recognized as an extremist organization and is also banned.

Some users notice that they devote too much time to managing their Instagram account to the detriment of work and personal affairs. Even the owner of Instagram, Meta, admitted in internal documents that its social networks have a negative impact on sleep, work, parenting, work productivity and personal life of approximately 12. 5% ​​of users. And scientists from the University of British Columbia found that users' own lives begin to seem insufficiently bright and interesting compared to what they see on Instagram. nine0003

Meanwhile, until the spring of 2022, the social network was consistently in the top 10 in terms of downloads in Russia and in the world. The international agency We Are Social estimated that in 2021 Instagram ranked fourth in our country in terms of the number of users (61.2% of Russian Internet users go there), and in total 67.8% of the Russian population (99 million people) use social networks. The average Russian spends 3 hours a day outside of work at the monitor or with a smartphone.

In November 2021, Instagram began testing the Take a Break feature. It will allow users to escape from the continuous viewing of the feed. In the settings, it will be possible to set reminders for breaks, for example, 10, 20 or 30 minutes. After that, the application will issue a warning about the need to rest. However, this feature has been opened to a limited number of users so far. nine0003

For now, everyone has the only alternative - to give up Instagram for a while or for good.

How to permanently delete an Instagram account

This option should be chosen when the profile is definitely no longer useful: for example, if we are talking about the account of a company that has closed.

Before deleting a profile, Instagram will offer to save data from it. To do this, you need to send a download request. After that, an email will be sent to your email within 48 hours with a link where you can download photos and videos. You can also request a copy of your data through the Instagram app for Android and iPhone. To do this, open the menu in the profile, go to the "Settings" - "Security" section and select the "Download data" item. Next, you will need to enter your email address and account password. nine0003

Download request from Instagram

Even after deleting the profile, it will be visible on the social network for another 30 days. During this time, the user can change his mind and restore the account. If within a month the owner of the profile has never logged into the system, then the account is permanently deleted.

In the web version

To delete a profile using a computer, you need to perform several steps:

  • go to the social network site and click on the "Help" button in the lower right corner; nine0014
  • go to the "Help Center" and select the line "Delete your account" in the left menu;
  • follow the link suggested in the article;
  • specify the reason for deleting the profile;
  • confirm the action by entering a password.

From a smartphone

To delete an Instagram profile using your phone, you need to take more steps:

  • enter your profile in the application and click on "Settings"; nine0014
  • in the menu that appears, select the line "Help" and go to the "Help Center";
  • on the page that opens, select the item "Manage your account";
  • in the search bar enter the query "Delete profile";
  • go to the article "How to delete your Instagram account";
  • go to the link in the article;
  • indicate the reason for deleting the account and enter the page password. nine0014

How to temporarily delete an Instagram account

The user can also stop using Instagram for any period and then restore the page. However, you can do this no more than once a week. A temporarily deleted profile is not visible to other users of the social network. To restore it, you just need to log into the application.

In the web version

To temporarily deactivate your profile using a computer, you must perform the following steps:

  • go to the social network site under your account;
  • click on the profile photo and select "Settings" in the menu that opens;
  • at the bottom of the page, click on the link "Temporarily disable my account";
  • on the page that opens, indicate the reason for the temporary disconnection and enter the account password.

From the phone

As in the case of the "permanent" deletion, temporary blocking of Instagram will require more steps:

  • go to your profile;
  • go to the "Settings" section and select the "Help" item;
  • in the menu that appears, click on the line "Help Center";
  • on the support page, open the "Manage your account" item;
  • in the search bar, enter "Temporarily disable";
  • go to the article "How to delete your Instagram account";
  • click on the link "How to temporarily disable your account" and find the article "Instagram. com website from a mobile browser"; nine0014
  • click on the link in the first paragraph of the instruction and go to the mobile browser;
  • on the main page of the account, click on the "Edit profile" button;
  • select the link "Temporarily disable my account" at the bottom of the page.

Is it possible to delete a blocked Instagram account

To delete your account, you need to know your username and password. A forgotten password can be reset using an email address, phone number, or Facebook account. If the user does not have access to the email address specified during registration, and his Instagram and Facebook accounts are not linked, then the support service will not be able to provide access to the account. nine0003

In the event that an Instagram account has been blocked by the social network itself, its owner will see a corresponding message when logging in. He can appeal this decision. To do this, you need to open the app, enter your username and password, and then follow the instructions on the screen.


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