You can edit a Facebook post up to 30 days after you publish it

Facebook lets you change the text, links, or photos in any post you've made — but only within 30 days of publishing. After that window closes, you can delete the post but not edit it. The edit button appears as three dots (called the "more" menu) in the top right corner of your own posts, but not on posts from other people or pages you don't manage.

The process is the same whether you're on a computer or phone, though the menu looks slightly different. You can fix typos, add context, remove a photo, or change a link without losing the comments and reactions people have already left. Facebook shows viewers that a post has been edited — it displays "Edited" below the timestamp — so there's no hiding that you made a change.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap or click the three dots in the top right corner of your post, then select "Edit post" from the menu that appears.
  • You can change text, add or remove photos, and update links, but you cannot change who the post is shared with after publishing.
  • The 30-day edit window starts from the moment you publish, and after that you can only delete the post.
  • Facebook displays "Edited" under the timestamp so people know the post has been changed since they first saw it.

How to edit a post on your computer

Open the post you want to change and look for the three dots in the top right corner of the post box. Click those dots and a small menu will pop up with several options. Select "Edit post" from that menu.

The post will now open in edit mode, showing you the text box and any photos or links you included. Make whatever changes you need — fix spelling, rewrite sentences, add new information, or remove photos by clicking the X on each image. When you're done, click the blue "Save" button at the bottom right of the edit box. Your changes go live immediately.

How to edit a post on your phone

Find the post you want to change and tap the three dots in the top right corner. A menu will slide up from the bottom of your screen with several options. Tap "Edit post" to open the editing screen.

You'll see the same editing interface as on a computer — your text in an editable box and any photos displayed below. Make your changes, then scroll down and tap the blue "Save" button. The changes publish right away, and viewers will see "Edited" appear below the post's timestamp.

What you can and cannot change in an edit

You can change the text of your post, add or remove photos, and update any links you included. You can also add new photos if you want to include more images than you originally posted. However, you cannot change the privacy setting after you publish — if you posted something publicly, you cannot edit it to be friends-only, and vice versa. To change who can see a post, you have to delete it and post again with the new privacy setting.

You also cannot edit a post that you've shared to a group or page you manage using the share feature. If you need to change that kind of post, delete it and share the corrected version again. Video posts can be edited for text and captions, but not for the video file itself — if you need to change the actual video, delete and repost.

What happens to comments and reactions when you edit

All comments and reactions stay attached to your post when you edit it. People who commented before your edit will still see their comments in the same place, and the like count doesn't change. This is different from deleting and reposting, which would erase all comments and reactions.

If your edit changes the meaning of what you wrote significantly, people might notice and comment about the change. Facebook doesn't notify people that a post has been edited — they only see "Edited" if they look at the timestamp — so not everyone will catch that you made a change.

The 30-day edit window and what happens after

The clock starts the moment you publish your post. You have 30 days from that exact time to make edits. Once 30 days have passed, the "Edit post" option disappears from the three-dot menu. At that point, your only option is to delete the post if you want it gone.

This 30-day limit applies to all posts — status updates, photos, links, and videos. If you realize you need to change something after 30 days, you'll need to delete the original post and create a new one. This means you'll lose all the comments and reactions from the original post, so it's worth editing within the window if you catch a mistake early.

Why Facebook shows "Edited" on your posts

Facebook displays "Edited" below the timestamp to show that the post has been changed since it was first published. This transparency helps prevent people from changing posts in ways that would mislead readers — for example, changing a quote or claim after someone has already commented on the original version.

The "Edited" label doesn't show what changed, only that something did. Viewers have to click on the timestamp to see when the edit happened, but they can't see a version history or what the post said before. This means you can fix a typo or add clarifying information without people seeing the exact before-and-after.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a post that someone else shared from my profile?

No. You can only edit posts that you originally created. If someone else shared your post to their timeline, they can edit their share, but you cannot. You can delete your original post, which will remove it from your timeline, but it won't remove the shares other people have made.

What if I try to edit a post and the option isn't there?

The edit option disappears after 30 days, so if you don't see it, your post is older than that. You can also lose the edit option if you've shared the post to a group or page — in that case, delete and reshare instead. If the post is recent and edit still isn't showing, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the Facebook app.

Can I edit a post I've shared to a group?

You can edit the text and captions of a post you've shared to a group, but the process is the same — tap the three dots and select "Edit post." The edit applies to the version in the group, not to the original on your timeline. If you posted the same thing to both your timeline and a group, you'll need to edit each one separately.

Does editing a post change when it appears in people's feeds?

No. Editing a post does not bump it back to the top of people's feeds or send a notification that you've made a change. The post stays in the same position it was in before you edited it. People only see that it's been edited if they look at the timestamp.

Can I undo an edit and go back to what I originally wrote?

Facebook doesn't keep a version history of your edits, so you cannot undo a change and restore the original text. If you make an edit you regret, you'll have to manually type back what you remember of the original post. This is why it's worth taking a moment to review edits before you save them.