Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content
Content starts here
CLOSE ×

Search

Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

How to Bulk Delete or Archive Old Facebook Posts

The feature for both app and web makes it easier to manage your past


spinner image Facebook user touch on Angry button in Facebook application on iPhone 7.
Wachirawit Iemlerkchai / Alamy Stock Photo

Maybe you’ve decided to quit Facebook once and for all or you simply want to take down old posts you regret publishing. Until now, Facebook, the world’s largest social media site, hasn’t made it easy to properly remove content.

A while back, Facebook was under fire for making its process of taking down a photo, comment or like rather convoluted. The same applied to those who wanted to delete their account altogether and might unknowingly leave a digital footprint, such as a message sent to someone still active on the platform. Thankfully, a Facebook feature called Manage Activity simplifies the deletion of posted content, both in bulk and individually, all in one place.

spinner image Image Alt Attribute

AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Join Now

Introduced in 2020 and updated since then, Manage Activity includes an option to privately archive your posts or keep them for your eyes only, especially if you’re having second thoughts about the privacy of your posts on social media. This means you can hold on to a post you wrote in 2018 that you still find funny — such as a haircut gone wrong and your friends’ hilarious reactions to it — but that you don’t want a potential employer to see. Facebook also expanded the option, once only for smartphones, to those who access the platform on the web.

Facebook has some 3.05 billion users, per third-quarter earnings from parent company Meta. In the United States alone, 243.5 million people use Facebook, according to Demandsage, a social media marketing company based in Boston. That’s about 70 percent of the U.S. population. AARP’s Tech Trends report found that nearly 71 percent of aging adults (50 and older) use Facebook in 2023, up from 68 percent in 2022.

So whether you’re a frequent poster or someone who likes to share from time to time, we explain how to archive old posts or simply eliminate them. The steps below may vary slightly depending on your device.

Bulk delete via the app

1. Open the Facebook app.

2. Depending on your type of phone, you’ll either tap the three dots ⋯ in the corner of the screen or an arrow pointing down near your profile photo. If you don’t see either, tap your Profile icon, then the three dots ⋯. This will open up your Profile settings.

3. Select Activity Log.

4. Scroll down and tap Your activity across Facebook. This will open up options to manage your comments and posts. Under Posts, tap Manage Posts. You’ll see your posts listed from newest to oldest. You can view, change your audience (private or public) or delete.

5. Tap the Filters tab to sort through your posts. It will open a pop-up with options for Categories or Date.

6. Under Categories, tap Your posts, check ins, photos and videos. All your posts will list chronologically (newest to oldest). Click All, Archive or Trash or, under the three dots to the right, Change Audience.

  • Archive. This option is for Facebook content you no longer want others to see but you want to keep for yourself.
  • Trash. Use this feature to move unwanted posts to delete. The trash will stay there for 30 days unless you choose to manually delete or restore the posts before then.
  • Change audience. This allows you to manage who sees your profile posts.
Technology & Wireless

Consumer Cellular

5% off monthly fees and 30% off accessories

See more Technology & Wireless offers >

You can review your decisions to save or delete posts by tapping the Archive or Trash tabs at the top of the screen. Tap one of the posts and you’ll have a couple of additional options, such as changing from Archive to Trash or vice versa. You can close out of these options if you change your mind. This will take you back to the list of photos or videos.

If you tap Filter Date, you can choose your start date and end date; then select Archive or Delete.

Bulk delete via web

If you prefer to use Facebook on the web, be aware that you’re limited to 50 posts at a time. If you wish to delete more, use the app. If you use the Facebook app on an iPad or Android tablet, skip to step number 3, below.

1. On your PC or Mac, go to Facebook.com and sign in.

spinner image membership-card-w-shadow-192x134

Join AARP today for $16 per year. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

2. Click on your Profile photo in the top right-hand corner. This will open up your Profile page.

3. Under “What’s on your mind,” you’ll see Posts. Click ⚙︎ Manage posts.

4. You’ll see thumbnails and text for the past 50 posts you made on your timeline. Above that, click Filters near the top.

You can filter by:

  • Go to: Year
  • Posted by: Anyone, You or Others
  • Privacy: All PostsPublic, Friends, Only me
  • Tagged posts

Select one or more options relevant to you, such as all posts you made in 2023 or photos you were tagged in. From here you can group Archive, in case you change your mind later on, or group Delete if you want them gone for good.

This story, originally published June 22, 2020 was updated to include managing Facebook activity via the web.