How to Delete Old Social Media Posts
Tired of old social media posts haunting you? Learn how to easily delete old posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and more. Protect your privacy and declutter your online presence with our step-by-step guide.
Posted 3 months ago
Written by
Mackenzie TaylorPosted 3 months ago
As social media turns the ripe old age of 25 (how?!), there are also a plethora of old posts, tweets, photos, and other such things that might not have aged as well as we have. Whether you’re trying to delete an ex’s photos, cleaning up old content that makes you feel a bit cringe, or anything in between, there are a few ways to delete old social media posts.
Today, we’re going to walk you through how to delete those old posts and hopefully never see them again (maybe things really don’t need to live forever on the internet?).
Jump to a section ✨
- Does deleting a post mean it’s gone forever?
- Is there a way to delete all my posts at once across all platforms?
- Can I filter by keywords to find specific posts to delete?
- Can I delete all of my Facebook albums at once?
- Can I choose a specific date range to filter my Instagram posts?
- Is there any way to avoid all the scrolling in TikTok?
How to delete old Facebook posts
Oh, Facebook. The golden oldie and one that we all used very much like a verbal diary—and that’s not always a good thing. Well, for me it wasn’t (RIP to all of my long sad lyric updates).
If you want to delete your old Facebook posts, this is the easiest (and quickest!) way to do that:
How to delete old Facebook posts from desktop
- Go to Facebook on desktop.
- Select your name on the left-hand side to view your profile.
- Below your status update (“What’s on your mind?”), you’ll see a button that says “Filters.”
- Use the drop-down menu to find the year you joined and select “done.”
From here, start going through your old posts and finding (and deleting!) the ones that you don’t want on your profile any longer.
How to delete old Facebook posts from mobile
Yes, you can also do this from mobile as well.
- Open your Facebook app and head to your profile.
- Scroll to your posts and click the “filters” link on the right-hand side.
- Select the year, and start scrolling through your old posts!
How to delete old X (FKA Twitter) posts
Again, when it was first released, Twitter was the place where we shared every single thought in our brains. Why did we do this? Because, I promise, no one really cared all that much about the dinner we were eating.
If you’re wanting to delete your old tweets/posts, here’s the easiest way to do just that:
- Go to X.com on your desktop or mobile
- Type (from:username) until: yyyy-mm-dd since: yyyy-mm-dd in the search bar (be sure the username is yours, along with the years you want)
- Click “Latest” tab at the top to sort the posts in chronological order.
- Go through the tweets and select the three dots at the side to delete the posts.
How to delete old Instagram posts
Personally, I find Instagram the easiest to go through and find all the old content. And as Instagram is turning 15 years old soon (again, how?!), there is a lot of content on there that you can sort through.
- Head to Instagram on your mobile
- Go to your profile and click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) at the top right-hand side.
- Select “Your Activity”
- Select “Posts”
- Click “Newest to oldest” and change it to “oldest to newest”
- You can click “Select” on the right-hand side to select multiple posts at once
You will then see the very first Instagram post you ever put online (cute!) and can start deleting the ones you no longer want on there.
How to delete your old TikTok videos
Sadly, this one is a bit more annoying than the others. If you want to delete old TikTok videos, you have to scroll and scroll and scroll. There isn’t currently an easy reorder button you can select.
However, if you want to delete those old videos, it is easy once you find them.
- Head to your TikTok app
- Scroll (and scroll!) to locate the videos you want to delete
- Tap the three dots on the right side of the video.
- Select “delete” and then “delete” once more.
- It’s deleted!
Yes, it truly is that easy (once you find what you’re looking for).
Frequently asked questions
Does deleting a post mean it’s gone forever?
Ah, the golden question. Sadly, no, deleting a post isn’t like snapping your fingers and making it disappear into thin air. The internet has a long memory, and even after you hit that dreaded delete button, there’s a chance your post might still be lurking around somewhere in the digital underworld.
Is there a way to delete all my posts at once across all platforms?
*Cries* I wish. Sadly, there is no one-click solution to delete your entire online presence. Each platform has its own rules, so you’ll have to delete the posts from platform to platform.
Can I filter by keywords to find specific posts to delete?
Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t offer a keyword search function for your posts. You’re limited to filtering by year, which can be a tedious process if you’re looking for something specific.
Can I delete all of my Facebook albums at once?
To do this, you’ll need to go into each album individually and select the delete option. It’s a bit time-consuming, but it’s the only way to clear out multiple photos at once.
Can I choose a specific date range to filter my Instagram posts?
Instagram also doesn’t offer a date range filter for posts. You’re stuck with sorting by “Newest to Oldest” or vice versa. This can be frustrating if you’re trying to find posts from a particular period
Is there any way to avoid all the scrolling in TikTok?
TikTok’s endless scroll can be a black hole, especially when you’re trying to find specific videos. Currently, there’s no shortcut to jump to a particular date or time. You’ll have to patiently scroll through your content.
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