How to Delete a Facebook Live Video (Profile and Page)

You've gone live, it didn't go the way you hoped, and now the replay is sitting on your profile or Page for everyone to find. It happens to everyone, from nervous first-timers to seasoned presenters. The fix is quick, and Facebook has a safety net built in, so you've got time to change your mind.

Here's what Facebook's help centre says about removing a finished live video, with the steps for a computer, the Android app and a Page you manage.

Where a Facebook Live video goes after you end the broadcast

Facebook's help pages say that when you go live, the video automatically uploads to your profile, Page or group after the live stream has ended. That's useful to know, because it tells you that a finished live video is treated like any other post. I couldn't find a separate delete button just for Live in the help pages I read, so the steps below are the standard ones for removing a post.

Deleting a Facebook Live video from your profile on a computer

1. Go to the live video post on your profile.
2. Click Options in the top right of the post.
3. Click Move to recycle bin.
4. Confirm by clicking Move.

Facebook's help page uses the words "move to recycle bin" rather than "delete", and that wording matters, as you'll see in a moment.

Deleting a Facebook Live video in the Android app

1. Go to the live video post.
2. Tap Options in the top right of the post.
3. Tap Move to recycle bin, then tap Move.

I've only confirmed the Android wording in the help centre. If you're on an iPhone and the labels look a little different, menus vary by app version, so look for the Options button on the post.

Deleting a Facebook Live video from a Page you manage

If you went live as a business, the replay lives on your Page, and the steps are different. Facebook's help pages say these steps are for people with Facebook access to a Page. If you only have task access, you can delete or manage Page posts from Meta Business Suite instead.

1. Log in to Facebook, then click your profile photo in the top right.
2. Click See all profiles, then select the Page you want to switch into.
3. Click your Page's profile picture in the top right, then click your Page's name.
4. Go to the live video post on your Page and click Options in the top right.
5. Click Move to recycle bin, then click Move.

Make sure you're acting as the Page, not your personal profile. If the post isn't there, you've probably got the wrong profile selected.

What the Facebook recycle bin does with a deleted live video

Here's the safety net. According to Facebook's help centre, content you move to the recycle bin stays there until it's automatically deleted 30 days later, and while it's in there it's only visible to you. For a Page post, Facebook says it's not publicly visible during that period.

• During the 30 days you can restore the video to where you originally posted it.
• You can move it to your Archive instead.
• You can choose to delete it sooner, before the 30 days are up.
• After 30 days it's automatically deleted and can't be restored.

For a Page, Facebook adds that after 30 days the post is permanently removed from the Page and from the Page's activity log.

Restoring a Facebook Live video from the recycle bin

If you've deleted the wrong thing, on a computer click your profile picture, choose Settings and privacy, click Activity log, then click Recycle bin in the left menu. Hover over the video, click Options, then Restore to profile and confirm. In the Android app, tap Menu, tap your name, tap Options below your profile picture, then Activity log, and choose Recycle bin at the top. Tap the square next to the video and tap Restore at the bottom.

When you restore it, Facebook says it'll be visible to the same audience you chose before you moved it.

Archiving a Facebook Live video instead of deleting it

Sometimes you don't want the video gone for good, you just don't want people watching it. That's what Archive is for. Facebook's help pages say that when you move content to your Archive, it's only visible to you, and if you restore it later it goes back to its original audience. You'll find it from the same Options menu, using Move to archive. I've explained how to look for old posts in my guide to finding archived Facebook posts, which is handy if you've archived a few things and lost track.

If you can't delete your Facebook Live video

• Check which profile you're on. A Page video needs you to switch into the Page first.
• Check your access. The Page steps are for people with Facebook access. Task access works through Meta Business Suite.
• Remember it isn't available to everyone. Facebook's help pages say only certain types of content can be moved to Archive or the recycle bin, and that the feature isn't available to everyone yet.
• Look for the hide option. On a Page, some posts can be hidden instead. Facebook says the old Hide post option has been replaced by Not interested in the post menu, so you may not see it.
• Try a computer. The full set of steps is easier to follow on a larger screen.

If a live video was posted in a group, the help centre has a separate article for removing a post in a Facebook group you manage. I haven't covered those steps here.

Before you delete a Facebook Live video as a creator or business owner

It's worth pausing for a minute if the video was for your customers. Facebook's help pages say you can share a live video again after it's ended, using the Share button below the post, which is a neat way to give a good one a second airing. If the problem is a typo in the description or a poor start, you may be able to keep the video and fix what's around it instead.

If the video contains something that really shouldn't be public, such as someone's private details, remove it straight away, and if you're ever concerned about your safety or someone else's, contact the police.

And if you'd like to see what else you've been watching rather than posting, my answer on whether Facebook has a watch history explains where that lives.

I keep every related walkthrough in the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete a Facebook Live video?

Go to the post, click or tap Options in the top right, choose Move to recycle bin, then confirm. Facebook treats a finished live video as a normal post on your profile, Page or group.

Does deleting a live video remove it straight away?

It's hidden from others right away, but Facebook says it stays in your recycle bin for 30 days, only visible to you, before it's automatically deleted.

Can I get a deleted live video back?

Yes, within the 30 days. Open your activity log, choose Recycle bin and restore it. After 30 days it can't be restored.

How do I delete a live video from my Facebook Page?

Switch into the Page, go to the post, click Options, then Move to recycle bin and Move. If you only have task access, use Meta Business Suite.

What's the difference between archiving and deleting?

Archived content is only visible to you and can be restored to its original audience. Deleted content sits in the recycle bin for 30 days and is then gone.