Delete a video from your own account in three steps
To delete a video you posted on TikTok, open the app, go to your profile, find the video, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner of the video thumbnail, and select "Delete". The video disappears from your profile and your followers' feeds immediately. TikTok keeps no copy you can recover — once it is gone, it is gone.
You do not need to be the original creator to remove a video from your own account. If someone else posted it to your profile (with your permission or otherwise), you can delete it the same way. The steps are identical whether the video is brand new or months old.
If you cannot find the three-dot menu, make sure you are looking at your own profile. Tap the "Me" icon at the bottom right of the screen, then scroll to find the video. The menu only appears on videos you own.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted videos cannot be recovered — TikTok does not store a backup you can restore later.
- The three-dot menu appears only on videos you posted or videos posted to your profile by others.
- Deleting a video removes it from your profile, your followers' feeds, and search results within minutes.
- If you want to keep the video but hide it from view, you can set it to private instead of deleting it.
- Videos you have already shared with others may still exist in their screenshots or downloads even after you delete the original.
Why you might want to delete instead of just hiding a video
TikTok offers two ways to remove a video from public view: you can delete it entirely, or you can change its privacy setting to "Private" so only you can see it. Delete is permanent and removes the video from TikTok's servers. Private keeps the video on your account but hides it from everyone else, including your followers.
Delete if you want the video gone for good — if it contains information you do not want anywhere on the platform, or if you simply do not want it to exist. Private if you might want to watch it later, or if you are not sure whether you want to keep it. You can always change a private video back to public later, but you cannot recover a deleted one.
Keep in mind that even after you delete a video, anyone who screenshotted it, downloaded it, or shared it elsewhere still has a copy. Deletion removes it from TikTok only, not from the internet.
What happens to comments, likes, and shares when you delete
When you delete a video, all comments on that video disappear. Likes and share counts vanish too. Anyone who bookmarked the video will see a blank space where it used to be, with a message that the video is no longer available.
If someone shared your video to another platform — like sending the TikTok link to a friend over text — that link will stop working once you delete. The person who received it will see an error message if they try to open it.
Deleting a video does not affect your follower count or your overall engagement metrics on your profile. It only removes that specific video and its associated data.
How to delete a video if you cannot find the three-dot menu
If the three-dot menu is not appearing, the most common reason is that you are not viewing your own profile. Make sure you are logged into the account that posted the video. Tap "Me" at the bottom right, then look for the video in your feed.
If you are on your own profile and still do not see the menu, try refreshing the app. Close TikTok completely and open it again. Sometimes the menu fails to load until you reload the page.
On older versions of the TikTok app, the menu location may be slightly different. Update TikTok to the latest version from your phone's app store. Once updated, the three-dot menu should appear in the standard location on the bottom right of each video thumbnail.
Deleting videos from a business or creator account
The deletion process is the same whether you have a personal account or a TikTok Creator Account. Open your profile, find the video, tap the three dots, and select "Delete". Creator accounts do not have any additional steps or restrictions.
If you manage a business account for someone else, you will need login access to that account to delete videos from it. TikTok does not allow you to delete videos from an account you do not own, even if you have permission from the owner.
Some business accounts use third-party management tools that connect to TikTok. If you use one of these tools, check whether it has its own delete function. Some tools let you schedule deletions or delete in bulk, which can be faster than deleting one video at a time through the app.
Bulk deletion and managing multiple videos at once
TikTok does not have a built-in bulk delete feature in the main app. You must delete videos one at a time using the three-dot menu. If you have many videos to remove, this takes time but is straightforward — the process is identical for each one.
If you want to delete dozens of videos quickly, third-party tools like TikTok analytics apps or content management platforms may offer bulk operations. These tools connect to your TikTok account and let you delete multiple videos in one action. Check the tool's privacy policy before connecting it to your account, since you are giving it access to your TikTok data.
Another option is to set videos to private instead of deleting them. You can change the privacy setting on multiple videos faster than you can delete them, and you can always delete them later if you decide you want them gone permanently.
What to do if you accidentally deleted a video
If you deleted a video by mistake, TikTok does not offer an undo button or a recovery option. Once deleted, the video is gone from TikTok's servers and cannot be restored through the app.
Your only option is to re-upload the video if you have the original file saved on your phone or computer. If you do not have a copy of the video file itself, you cannot get it back. This is why it is a good idea to save important videos to your phone before posting them — that way you have a backup if you ever need to re-upload.
If you deleted a video and want to post similar content again, you can film a new version. The new video will start with zero views and zero engagement, but it will be a fresh post on your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a video someone else posted that features me?
No. You can only delete videos from your own account. If someone posted a video of you without your permission, you can report it to TikTok using the flag icon on the video. TikTok will review it, but the decision to remove it is up to TikTok, not you. If the video violates TikTok's community guidelines, TikTok may delete it.
Does deleting a video remove it from TikTok's search results right away?
TikTok removes deleted videos from search results within a few minutes, but the process is not instant. If someone searches for a keyword that used to bring up your video, they will not see it anymore, but it may take a few minutes for the search index to update.
Will my followers get a notification when I delete a video?
No. TikTok does not send notifications to your followers when you delete a video. They will simply notice the video is no longer on your profile if they go looking for it.
Can I delete a video from my drafts?
Yes. Go to your profile, tap the three lines in the top left, select "Drafts", find the video, tap the three dots, and select "Delete". Drafts work the same way as posted videos — once deleted, they cannot be recovered.
What if I want to delete all my videos at once?
TikTok does not have a "delete all" option. You must delete each video individually. If you want to remove your entire account instead, you can deactivate or delete your TikTok account through Settings, which removes all your videos along with your profile.