Delete a video from your own account
You can delete any video you posted to your own TikTok account at any time. The video disappears from your profile, your followers' feeds, and TikTok's search results within a few minutes. Deleting a video does not affect videos other people made that mention or reference yours — those stay up unless the person who posted them chooses to delete them.
On your phone, open TikTok and go to your profile. Tap the video you want to remove. At the bottom right of the video screen, you'll see three dots in a circle. Tap those dots, then select "Delete" from the menu that appears. TikTok will ask you to confirm — tap "Delete" again, and the video is gone.
On a computer, log into TikTok.com, go to your profile, and click the video. Click the three dots at the bottom right, select "Delete", and confirm. The process is the same whether you're using the app or the website.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete any of your own videos from your profile menu by tapping the three dots and selecting Delete.
- Deleted videos disappear from your profile and feeds within minutes, but comments and likes on that video are also removed.
- Deleting your video does not remove videos other people posted that mention or feature you.
- If you want to hide a video without permanently removing it, you can make it private so only you can see it.
- TikTok does not restore deleted videos, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm the deletion.
Make a video private instead of deleting it
If you're not sure whether you want to keep a video, you can make it private before you delete it. A private video stays on your account but only you can see it — it won't show up on your profile, in your followers' feeds, or in search results.
Open the video, tap the three dots, and select "Privacy settings". Choose "Private" from the options. The video is now hidden from everyone except you. You can change it back to public later if you change your mind, or delete it permanently when you're ready.
What happens when you delete a video
When you delete a video, all the comments, likes, and shares on that video disappear too. Anyone who saved the video to their favorites will see that it's no longer available. If someone shared a link to your video in a text or on another social media platform, that link will stop working.
TikTok does not send you a copy of the video or give you a way to restore it after deletion. If you think you might want the video later, download it to your phone or computer before you delete it. To download, open the video, tap the three dots, and select "Save video" (on iPhone) or "Download" (on Android). The video saves to your phone's camera roll or gallery.
Report or flag a video instead of deleting it
If someone else posted a video that violates TikTok's rules or makes you uncomfortable, you cannot delete it — only the person who posted it can do that. Instead, you can report it to TikTok. Open the video, tap the three dots, and select "Report". Choose the reason the video bothers you — options include harassment, hate speech, misinformation, or sexual content.
TikTok reviews reported videos and may remove them if they break the platform's community guidelines. Reporting does not delete the video immediately, but it puts it in a queue for TikTok's moderation team to review. If the video stays up after you report it, you can block the account so you don't see videos from that person anymore.
Delete videos in bulk from your account
TikTok does not have a built-in tool to delete multiple videos at once. If you want to remove many videos, you have to delete them one by one using the three-dot menu. There is no faster way through the app or website.
If you want to delete your entire account instead of individual videos, you can do that through your account settings. Go to "Settings and privacy", select "Account", then "Delete account". TikTok will ask you to confirm and may ask why you're leaving. Your account and all your videos will be permanently removed after 30 days — during that 30-day window, you can cancel the deletion if you change your mind.
Videos that won't delete and what to do
Most videos delete within a few minutes, but sometimes a video stays visible for longer. This usually happens because TikTok's servers are slow to sync, not because something went wrong. Wait 15 to 30 minutes and refresh your profile — the video should be gone.
If a video still appears after an hour, try logging out and logging back in. Close the TikTok app completely and reopen it. If you're on a computer, try a different browser or clear your browser's cache. If the video still won't disappear, contact TikTok support through the app: go to "Settings and privacy", tap "Help", then "Report a problem", and describe what's happening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a video after I delete it?
No. TikTok does not keep deleted videos or offer a recovery option. Once you confirm the deletion, the video is gone permanently. If you think you might want it later, download it to your phone before you delete it.
Will people still see my deleted video if they shared the link?
No. When you delete a video, the link stops working. Anyone who tries to open a link to your deleted video will see an error message saying the video is no longer available.
Does deleting a video remove comments people left on it?
Yes. When you delete a video, all comments, likes, and shares on that video are removed as well. The comments do not stay visible anywhere.
What's the difference between deleting and making a video private?
A private video stays on your account but only you can see it. A deleted video is completely removed and cannot be recovered. Use private if you might want the video back later, and delete if you want it gone for good.
How long does it take for a deleted video to disappear from search results?
Usually a few minutes to an hour. TikTok's search index updates regularly, so deleted videos stop showing up fairly quickly. If a video still appears in search after an hour, wait a bit longer or try refreshing the search.