This post will teach you how to delete an Instagram story that is live, highlighted stories, and those that have been archived.
How to Delete Live Instagram Stories
If you posted an Instagram story by mistake or you aren’t getting the reaction you were hoping for, you can delete them before they are archived. Here’s how to delete a story that is live:
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Step 1
From your profile, click your avatar or profile picture to access your profile.
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Step 2
Locate the story you want to delete and click the three dots menu icon at the bottom right corner of the post.
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Step 3
Select “delete” from the options that appear on the screen.
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Step 4
When a pop-up appears, tap “Delete” again to confirm your decision. The Instagram story will be removed permanently.
While stories will be deleted immediately, users who are viewing it will be able to continue viewing it, though they will not be able to rewatch the entire story or share links to it.
If you want the story to reappear on the Instagram app, you will need to go through the process of re-uploading the photo or video to your account from your camera roll, add any relevant filters or effects, adjusting story settings, and posting it so that other users can see it.
How to Delete Highlighted Instagram Stories
If you want to delete a story that you have highlighted in the past, you can do so by completing the following:
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Step 1
Find the highlighted story that you want to remove on your profile page.
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Step 2
Tap on the story and hold. A menu should pop up.
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Step 3
Select “Delete Highlight” from the menu, then tap “Delete” again to confirm.
This action will delete your highlighted story from your profile and it will be archived automatically. If you want it deleted from your account altogether, you will need to follow the delete archived stories below.
Note that people can’t see a story if it is in your archive. If you want to post it again in the future, you may not need to delete it. If you plan to only create new content in the future, however, it may make sense to delete the story to hide it from yourself as well. Keep your account and screen clean of clutter.
How to Delete Archived Instagram Stories
You may want to clear out your archived stories even though they no longer appear to the public (unless you have highlighted them).
Complete the following to clear your stories archive on your Instagram account:
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Step 1
Login and go to your Instagram profile using your username and password.
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Step 2
Tap the menu (three dots) in the top right corner.
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Step 3
Tap “Archive” from the menu that appears to access your stories archive.
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Step 4
Find the story which you want to delete and tap on it.
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Step 5
Tap the more (…) icon at the bottom right side of the screen to pull up the available options.
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Step 6
Tap “Delete” then tap “Delete” again to delete the story. The story will be completely deleted as well as any description about it (this may include useful links to more information about your brand or people who were mentioned with it).