You can delete your own Reddit posts in seconds, but the timing matters
Deleting a Reddit post takes about 30 seconds and works the same way whether you posted from a phone or computer. Find the post in your profile, tap or click the three-dot menu next to it, and select Delete. Once you confirm, the post disappears from Reddit immediately — no one can see it, comment on it, or find it through search.
The catch is that Reddit's servers may have already shared copies of your post with other systems. Search engines like Google cache pages, and third-party archiving sites save Reddit content automatically. Deleting from Reddit itself does not erase those copies, though they tend to fade from search results within weeks or months.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a Reddit post removes it from Reddit immediately, but cached copies may exist on Google and archiving sites for weeks or months afterward.
- You can only delete posts you created yourself — moderators can remove posts but only you can delete your own.
- Deleted posts cannot be recovered by you or Reddit staff, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm.
- If your post contains personal information you want removed from search results, you can request Google remove the cached version separately.
How to delete a post on Reddit's mobile app
Open the Reddit app and go to your profile by tapping your avatar in the top-left corner. Tap the Posts tab to see everything you have posted. Find the post you want to remove and tap the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the top-right corner of that post.
A menu will appear with several options. Tap Delete. Reddit will ask you to confirm — tap Delete again. The post vanishes from your profile and from any subreddit it was posted to. Other users will no longer see it, and it will not appear in search results within Reddit.
How to delete a post on Reddit's website
Log into Reddit on your computer and click your username in the top-right corner. Select Profile from the dropdown menu. Click the Posts tab to view all your posts. Hover over the post you want to delete and click the three-dot menu icon that appears.
Click Delete from the menu. Reddit will ask you to confirm the deletion. Click Delete again, and the post is removed. Like the mobile version, this removes it from Reddit entirely, though cached versions may still exist elsewhere online.
What happens to comments and replies after you delete a post
When you delete a post, all the comments and replies attached to it disappear too. If someone replied to your post and you want to keep their comment visible, you cannot delete just the post — you would have to delete individual comments instead. To do that, find the comment in your profile's Comments tab, click the three-dot menu, and select Delete.
If you only want to remove your own replies to a conversation but keep the original post, delete only those specific comments. Other people's comments on your post will vanish when you delete the post itself, so consider whether that matters before you proceed.
Dealing with cached and archived versions of your post
Reddit posts are often saved by Google, the Internet Archive (archive.org), and other services before you delete them. These cached versions are not under your control, and deleting from Reddit does not remove them automatically. However, they usually disappear on their own within a few weeks as search engines refresh their indexes.
If your post contains sensitive information and you want it removed from Google's cache faster, you can request removal through Google Search Console. Go to google.com/webmasters, sign in, and use the Removal Tool to request that Google delete the cached page. For the Internet Archive, visit archive.org, find your post, and click the "Remove from the Wayback Machine" link at the bottom of the page.
Why you might want to delete a post
Common reasons include removing posts that contain personal information you no longer want public, deleting posts that no longer reflect your views, or cleaning up your profile before sharing it with someone. Some people delete posts to reduce their digital footprint or to remove content that could be taken out of context.
Keep in mind that on Reddit, once something gets attention, other users may have already screenshotted it or copied it. Deleting removes it from Reddit, but it does not undo sharing that already happened offline. If a post has been shared widely, deletion is more about removing it from Reddit itself than erasing it from the internet entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a post after I delete it?
No. Reddit does not store deleted posts, and neither you nor Reddit staff can recover them. Make sure you want it gone before you confirm the deletion. If you just want to hide it temporarily, you can archive a post instead, which removes it from your profile but keeps it in your saved items.
What if I delete a post that has thousands of comments?
All the comments disappear along with the post. If you want to preserve some of those comments, copy them to a text file before deleting. Once the post is gone, those comments are gone from Reddit too, though they may still exist in archived versions online.
Do moderators get notified when I delete my post?
No. Moderators do not receive a notification when you delete your own post. However, if a moderator removed your post (which is different from you deleting it), you may see a removal reason in your profile or in a message from the subreddit.
Can I delete someone else's post?
Only if you are a moderator of that subreddit. Regular users can only delete posts they created themselves. If you want a post removed, you can report it to the moderators and explain why it violates the subreddit's rules.
How long does it take for Google to stop showing my deleted Reddit post?
Usually a few weeks to a few months, depending on how often Google crawls Reddit and refreshes its cache. You can speed this up by requesting removal through Google Search Console, which typically takes effect within days.