Delete a Facebook story in three steps
Open Facebook on your phone or computer and find your story in the top row of the feed — it shows your profile picture with a blue ring around it. Tap or click on your story to open it full-screen. Look for the three dots in the top right corner of the story and tap or click them, then select "Delete" from the menu that appears.
The story disappears immediately. Facebook does not send a notification to people who saw it, and you cannot recover a deleted story. If you want to remove it before 24 hours pass, this is the only way.
On a computer, the process is identical — find your story in the feed, click it to open it, click the three dots, and click "Delete". The button location and wording are the same across devices.
Key Takeaways
- Stories delete permanently and cannot be recovered once you confirm the deletion.
- Your story is visible to your friends for 24 hours unless you delete it sooner.
- Deleting a story does not notify people who already saw it.
- You can delete a story from your phone, tablet, or computer using the same three-dot menu.
- If you want to hide a story from specific people without deleting it, you can adjust privacy settings before posting.
Why you might delete a story before it expires
Stories vanish on their own after 24 hours, so deletion is optional. You might delete one sooner if you posted something you regret, if the photo or video did not turn out the way you wanted, or if you shared information you later realized was private. Some people delete stories if they get negative comments or reactions they do not want to see.
Another reason to delete early is if you posted something that no longer reflects what you want people to know about you — a photo from an event that went differently than expected, or a caption you want to rephrase. Since stories are temporary by design, deleting one that has already been up for a few hours is a normal part of managing what you share.
The difference between deleting and hiding a story
Deleting removes the story entirely. Hiding a story from specific people keeps the story live for everyone else but prevents certain friends from seeing it. To hide a story from someone, you must set privacy before you post — go to the privacy icon (usually a circle with lines) before you tap "Share Your Story", then select "Hide Story From" and choose which friends cannot see it.
If you have already posted the story, you cannot hide it retroactively. Your only option at that point is to delete it completely. This is why some people set privacy before posting if they know certain friends should not see what they are about to share.
What happens to a story after you delete it
The story is gone from your profile and from the feed. People who saw it before deletion will still remember seeing it, but they cannot click back to view it again. Facebook does not keep a record of deleted stories in your archive or anywhere else on the platform.
If someone took a screenshot of your story before you deleted it, that screenshot exists on their device, but Facebook itself has no copy. Deletion is final and complete from Facebook's perspective.
Deleting stories on mobile versus desktop
The steps are the same whether you use Facebook on an iPhone, Android phone, tablet, or computer. Open your story, tap or click the three dots, and select "Delete". The menu appears in the same location on all devices — the top right corner of the full-screen story view.
If you use the Facebook app on your phone, the process is identical to using the mobile web version. If you use a computer browser, the layout is slightly larger but the buttons are in the same spots. No device requires a different method.
Stories that cannot be deleted
You can only delete stories you posted yourself. If someone else posted a story that includes you, you cannot delete their story, but you can ask them to remove it. You can remove yourself from a story someone else posted by going to that story and selecting "Remove Me" — this hides the story from your profile but does not delete it from their account.
Stories posted to a group or a page you manage follow the same deletion rules as personal stories. Open the story, click the three dots, and select "Delete". If you are not the account owner or page admin, you cannot delete other people's stories on that page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a story after I delete it?
No. Once you confirm the deletion, the story is permanently gone. Facebook does not have an undo option or a trash folder for stories. If you want to share the same photo or video again, you will need to upload it as a new story.
Do people get notified when I delete my story?
No. Facebook does not send a notification to anyone when you delete a story. People who saw it before deletion will not receive a message or alert. They simply will not be able to click back to view it.
What if I delete a story but want to post it again later?
You will need to find the original photo or video on your phone or computer and upload it as a new story. Facebook does not save deleted stories, so you cannot retrieve it from the app. Keep the original file if you think you might want to repost it.
Can I delete part of a story or just edit it?
No. Stories cannot be edited after posting. Your only option is to delete the entire story and post a new one if you want to change the text, stickers, or other elements. This is different from feed posts, which you can edit after publishing.
How do I delete multiple stories at once?
You must delete stories one at a time. Open each story, click the three dots, and select "Delete". Facebook does not have a bulk delete option for stories. If you want to remove several stories quickly, you will need to repeat this process for each one.