Delete a photo from your Instagram feed in three steps
To remove a photo you posted on Instagram, open the app, find the post on your profile, tap the three dots in the corner, and select Delete. Instagram removes the photo immediately — it no longer appears on your profile, in your followers' feeds, or in search results. The action is permanent and cannot be undone, so make sure you want the photo gone before you confirm.
The process is the same whether you posted the photo yesterday or months ago. You can only delete photos you posted yourself; you cannot remove photos that other people posted, though you can ask them to take it down or report it if it violates Instagram's rules.
Key Takeaways
- Open Instagram, navigate to your profile, and find the post you want to remove.
- Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the post and select Delete from the menu.
- Confirm the deletion when Instagram asks — the photo disappears permanently and cannot be recovered.
- Deleting a photo removes it from your profile, your followers' feeds, and search results, but does not affect likes or comments people left before you deleted it.
- If you want to keep the photo but hide it from your followers, use Archive instead of Delete.
Step-by-step: Delete a photo from your profile
Step 1: Open Instagram and go to your profile. Tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen (it looks like a person's head and shoulders). This takes you to your profile page, where all your posts appear in a grid.
Step 2: Find the photo you want to delete. Scroll through your posts until you see the one you want to remove. If you posted it recently, it will be near the top. If it was a long time ago, you may need to scroll down several screens to find it.
Step 3: Tap the three dots. Hover over or tap the post itself, then look for three vertical dots (called a menu icon) in the top right corner of the photo. On mobile, the dots usually appear when you tap the post. On a computer, they appear when you move your mouse over the post.
Step 4: Select Delete. A menu pops up with several options. Tap or click Delete Post. Instagram will ask you to confirm — tap Delete Post again to finish. The photo is now gone from your profile and cannot be recovered.
The difference between Delete and Archive
Instagram offers two ways to remove a photo from view: Delete and Archive. Delete removes the photo completely — it no longer appears on your profile, in your followers' feeds, or anywhere on Instagram. Archive hides the photo from your followers and from your main profile grid, but you can still see it in a private archive section that only you can access.
Use Delete if you never want to see the photo again and do not want your followers to see it. Use Archive if you might want to restore the photo to your profile later, or if you want to keep it for your own records but do not want it public right now. To archive a photo instead of deleting it, tap the three dots and select Archive rather than Delete.
If you archive a photo and later change your mind, you can unarchive it by going to your profile, tapping the menu icon (three horizontal lines), selecting Archive, finding the photo, tapping the three dots, and selecting Show on Profile. The photo reappears in your feed as if you never archived it.
What happens to likes and comments when you delete a photo
When you delete a photo, all the likes and comments people left on it disappear as well. The people who liked or commented will not receive a notification that the post is gone, but they will notice if they try to find it again — the post simply will not be there.
If someone took a screenshot of your photo before you deleted it, they still have that image on their phone, but they cannot share it through Instagram as a post or story. If you are concerned about a photo being shared elsewhere, deleting it from Instagram does not remove copies that already exist outside the app.
Deleting photos from Stories and Reels
Stories and Reels delete automatically after a certain time — Stories disappear after 24 hours, and Reels stay on your profile unless you remove them. To delete a Story before the 24 hours are up, open the app, tap your profile picture at the top left, find the Story you want to remove, tap the three dots, and select Delete. The Story disappears immediately.
To delete a Reel, go to your profile, find the Reel in your grid, tap the three dots, and select Delete. Reels work the same way as regular photos — once deleted, they cannot be recovered. If you want to hide a Reel without deleting it, you can archive it using the same menu.
Troubleshooting: Photo won't delete
If you tap Delete and the photo does not disappear, the most common cause is a connection problem. Make sure you have a strong internet connection — try moving closer to your Wi-Fi router or switching to mobile data if you are on Wi-Fi. Then try deleting the photo again.
If the three-dot menu does not appear when you tap the post, try closing and reopening the Instagram app. If you are using an older version of Instagram, update it through your phone's app store. On rare occasions, Instagram's servers experience delays; if deletion still does not work after 10 minutes, try again in a few hours.
If you see an error message when you try to delete, take a screenshot of the message and contact Instagram through the app. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select Help, and choose Report a Problem. Describe what happened and include the screenshot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a photo after I delete it?
No. Once you delete a photo from Instagram, it is permanently gone and cannot be recovered through the app. If you have the original photo file on your phone or computer, you can re-upload it, but Instagram does not store deleted posts. If you think you might want the photo back later, use Archive instead of Delete.
Will people know I deleted my photo?
People will not receive a notification that you deleted a post, but they will notice if they try to find it again. If someone liked or commented on the photo, they may wonder where it went. There is no way to delete a photo without people potentially noticing it is missing.
Can I delete someone else's photo from my profile?
You cannot delete a photo that someone else posted, even if they tagged you in it. You can ask the person to delete it, or you can remove the tag so the photo no longer appears on your profile. To remove a tag, go to the photo, tap the three dots, and select Remove Me from Post.
What if I delete a photo by accident?
Instagram does not have an undo button for deleted posts. If you deleted a photo by mistake, your only option is to re-upload it if you still have the original file. To avoid accidental deletions, double-check that you are tapping the right photo before you confirm the deletion.
Does deleting a photo affect my follower count?
No. Deleting a photo does not change how many followers you have or how many people follow you. It only removes that specific post from your profile and feed.