Delete a photo you uploaded yourself
To remove a photo you posted to your own timeline or a Facebook group, open the photo and look for three dots in the top right corner of the image. Click those dots, then select "Delete" from the menu that appears. Facebook will ask you to confirm — click "Delete Photo" again, and it's gone from your timeline and from anyone else's view.
The process is the same whether you posted the photo to your profile, a group, or an event page. Once you delete it, the photo disappears immediately. Anyone who saw it before won't have a copy — Facebook removes it from their view too, though they may remember seeing it.
If you posted the photo years ago and can't find it by scrolling, use Facebook's search. Type your name in the search bar, click your profile, then click "Photos" to see all photos you've been tagged in or posted. This is faster than scrolling through your entire timeline.
Key Takeaways
- Click the three dots on any photo you posted, then select "Delete" to remove it from your timeline and everyone else's view.
- Deleting a photo you posted removes it immediately — Facebook does not keep a copy visible to other users.
- If you want to hide a photo without deleting it, you can change who can see it by clicking the three dots and selecting "Edit Privacy".
- Photos you're tagged in but didn't post can be untagged from your profile, though the photo itself stays on the other person's timeline.
- Use Facebook's photo search (click your profile, then "Photos") to find old posts faster than scrolling.
Untag yourself from photos you didn't post
If someone else posted a photo and tagged you in it, you have two options: untag yourself, or ask the person to delete the photo. Untagging removes your name from the photo on your timeline, but the photo stays on the other person's profile.
To untag yourself, click the three dots on the photo and select "Remove Tag". Your name disappears from the photo, and it no longer shows up on your timeline. The person who posted it can still see it and so can their friends, depending on their privacy settings.
If you want the photo deleted entirely, you'll need to message the person who posted it and ask them to remove it. Facebook doesn't give you the power to delete someone else's photos, even if you're in them.
Hide a photo instead of deleting it
Sometimes you want to keep a photo but don't want it visible to everyone. Instead of deleting, you can change who sees it. Click the three dots on the photo, select "Edit Privacy", and choose from "Public" (everyone), "Friends" (only your friends), "Only Me" (just you), or a custom list of specific people.
This is useful if you want to keep the photo for your own records but don't want it showing up on your timeline or in search results. The photo stays in your account — you can change the privacy setting back later if you change your mind.
What happens after you delete a photo
Once you delete a photo, it disappears from your timeline, from any albums, and from search results. People who saw it before won't see it anymore. However, if someone took a screenshot or downloaded the photo before you deleted it, they still have their own copy — Facebook can't remove photos from people's devices.
Facebook also keeps deleted photos in its backup systems for a limited time in case you change your mind, but you won't be able to see or recover them yourself. If you realize you deleted a photo by mistake within a few minutes, you may be able to undo the action by clicking "Undo" if it appears at the top of your timeline.
Delete multiple photos at once
If you need to remove several photos, you can select them in bulk. Go to your profile, click "Photos", then click "Your Photos" or the album name. Look for a "Select" button (usually in the top right), click it, then check the boxes next to each photo you want to delete. Once you've selected them all, a "Delete" button will appear — click it and confirm.
This method works for photos in albums you created, but not for photos scattered across your timeline. If your photos are in different albums or posted at different times, you'll need to delete them one at a time using the three-dot menu.
Delete photos from a Facebook album
Photos stored in albums follow the same deletion rules as individual posts. Open the album, click on the photo, then click the three dots and select "Delete". The photo disappears from the album and from your timeline.
If you want to delete an entire album instead of individual photos, go to your profile, click "Photos", find the album, click the three dots next to its name, and select "Delete Album". This removes the album and all photos in it at once. Facebook will ask you to confirm before it deletes the whole album.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a photo after I delete it?
Facebook doesn't give you a way to recover deleted photos yourself. If you deleted it recently, look for an "Undo" option at the top of your timeline — it appears for a few minutes after deletion. Otherwise, the photo is gone from your account. If you have a backup or screenshot, you can re-upload it.
What if I delete a photo but it still shows up in search results?
Search results can take a few hours to update after you delete a photo. If it's still showing up after a day, try clearing your browser cache or searching from a different device. If the photo is truly gone from your account but still appears in results, report it to Facebook through the three-dot menu on the search result.
Does deleting a photo remove comments and likes on it?
Yes. When you delete a photo, all comments, likes, and shares on that photo disappear too. People who commented won't see their comments anymore, and the photo won't appear in anyone's activity feed or timeline.
Can I delete a photo someone tagged me in without asking them?
No. You can only untag yourself, which removes your name from the photo on your timeline. The photo stays on the other person's profile. To get it deleted entirely, you need to message them and ask them to remove it.
What's the difference between deleting and hiding a photo?
Deleting removes the photo completely from your account. Hiding (changing privacy to "Only Me") keeps the photo in your account but makes it invisible to everyone except you. You can change the privacy setting back anytime, but a deleted photo can't be recovered through Facebook.