How to Delete a Facebook Story (Phone and Computer)

We've all posted a Facebook story and instantly regretted it. A typo on the text, the wrong photo, or a clip you didn't mean to share. Luckily, stories aren't set in stone. Facebook's Help Centre says a story is only visible for 24 hours anyway, but if you don't want to wait, you can delete any photo or video from it in a few taps. I've followed Facebook's articles on deleting, archiving and changing the privacy of your story, and menus vary by app version.

Delete a Facebook story from your phone

1. Tap Your story at the top of your Feed.
2. Tap to find the photo or video you want to delete.
3. Tap More in the top right.
4. Tap Delete photo or Delete video.

If you shared your story from Facebook to Instagram, Facebook says you'll also be asked whether to Delete from both or Delete from Facebook only. If you delete only from Facebook and change your mind about Instagram, you can delete it there later in the Instagram app.

Delete a Facebook story on a computer

1. Go to the Stories section at the top of your Feed.
2. Click Your story.
3. Click to find the photo or video you want to delete.
4. Click Story options in the top right.
5. Click Delete photo or Delete video.

Each photo or video in your story is separate, so you move to the one you want first and delete only that. The others stay.

What happens to Messenger when you delete a Facebook story

Facebook's help page says that when you delete your story on Facebook, it's also deleted from Messenger, because any changes you make to your story update across both apps. That fits with another page of theirs, which says anything you add to your story appears on Facebook and Messenger.

Facebook story archive: does a deleted story get saved?

Here's where I'd have got it wrong without reading the article. Facebook states that if you delete your story and you have your story archive turned on, your story will not be archived. In other words, deleting really does mean deleting, and the archive doesn't catch it.

If you'd like to take a story off display but keep a private copy, archive it instead. Facebook's article gives these steps: tap Your story at the top of your Feed, find the photo or video, open its menu, tap Archive photo or Archive video and tap OK. It disappears from your active story straight away, and only you can see your story archive.

Delete a story from your Facebook story archive

Archived stories can be deleted too. On the app, Facebook says to:

1. Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook, then tap your name.
2. Tap Options, then Archive, then Story archive at the top.
3. Tap the photo or video you'd like to delete.
4. Tap Options, then Delete photo or Delete video, then tap Delete.

Hide your Facebook story from certain people

If what you wanted was to stop one person seeing a story, rather than delete it, you've got a gentler option. Facebook lets you choose an audience for each story: Public, Friends or Custom. To keep a story from particular people, set it to Friends, tap Don't show to..., select the people and tap Back. Facebook adds that anyone on your Restricted list won't be able to see your story.

• The audience you choose applies only to the story you're sharing. Stories you've already shared keep the audience you chose for them.
• To change the audience on something already shared, tap Your story at the top of your Feed, tap Options, select Edit story privacy, choose the audience and tap Save.
• Update your app. Facebook warns that in an older version, changing privacy may affect stories you've already shared.

If one person really is bothering you, think about blocking them on Facebook rather than adjusting stories one at a time.

Mute someone else's Facebook story instead

This page is about your own story, but Facebook's help also mentions the reverse: if you see someone else's story you don't want to see, you can mute their story so it doesn't show up in your Stories section. It doesn't affect your own story.

Fix a mistake in a Facebook story or post

I couldn't find an official way to edit a photo once it's in your story, so the straightforward fix is to delete it and share a corrected one. For a regular post, you can change the wording, and I've covered that in my guide to editing a post on Facebook. If you want to go back through older items you've archived, finding archived Facebook posts is worth a look.

If you can't delete your Facebook story

• Check you're in your own story. The steps start from Your story at the top of your Feed.
• Look for the right menu. On a phone it's More; on a computer it's Story options.
• Wait it out. A story is only visible for 24 hours, so it'll go by itself.
• Update the app, because menu names and positions change between versions.
• Try a computer, where Facebook's steps are the simplest to follow.

If you run a business and post stories for a Page, remember Facebook has separate instructions for a Page's story, so switch into the Page first and check its own story options.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete a story on Facebook?

Tap Your story at the top of your Feed, find the photo or video, tap More (or Story options on a computer) and choose Delete photo or Delete video.

Does deleting a Facebook story delete it from Messenger?

Yes. Facebook says deleting your story on Facebook also deletes it from Messenger, because changes update across both apps.

Is a deleted story saved in my archive?

No. Facebook says if you delete your story and have your story archive turned on, the story will not be archived. Archive it manually if you want to keep a copy.

How do I hide my story from one person?

Set the story's audience to Friends, tap Don't show to..., select the people and tap Back. Anyone on your Restricted list can't see it either.

How long does a Facebook story last?

Facebook's help page says a story is only visible for 24 hours.