Accidentally posted a TikTok Story or changed your mind after sharing? No worries! In this guide, you’ll learn how to delete TikTok story in 2025 with a simple step-by-step process. Whether you want to remove a story or troubleshoot deletion issues before it expires, I’ve got you covered.
What to Consider Before Deleting a TikTok Story?
Once a TikTok Story is deleted, it’s gone for good. If you remove a story, you won’t be able to recover its comments or track its engagement. It’s similar to discarding something permanently, and you won’t have the chance to retrieve it later. Make sure you’re certain before hitting delete.
1. Save your TikTok story before deleting
Before you delete a TikTok Story, consider saving it first. Your content could be valuable for future use, whether it’s a best-selling product showcase, a promotional video, or customer feedback. By saving the Story, you retain high-performing content that can be repurposed into ads, posts, or even embedded on your website.
Additionally, recycling TikTok Stories allows you to maximize engagement across multiple platforms. Whether you use it for an Instagram Reel, a Facebook post, or a YouTube Shorts video, keeping your content gives you more flexibility in marketing.
2. Check follower interactions before removing
Before you delete a TikTok story, take a moment to review how your audience has interacted with it. Likes, comments, and questions provide insights into customer interest and content performance.
For example, if you notice multiple comments asking about product pricing, features, or availability, that’s a strong sign of buyer intent. Deleting the Story without checking could mean losing valuable customer engagement data that helps refine future campaigns.
Instead of deleting a TikTok Story impulsively, use the insights to improve your content strategy and ad targeting.
3. Hide a TikTok story instead of deleting it
If you’re unsure how to delete a TikTok story, consider hiding it instead. TikTok allows users to control who sees their stories, so you can restrict access instead of removing it permanently.
This feature is especially useful if you want to:
Limit visibility for a test campaign or early product launch.
Temporarily remove a Story without losing engagement history.
Share the content privately with your team before making a decision.
Instead of rushing to delete a TikTok story, hiding it gives you more flexibility and control while preserving valuable engagement data.
How To Delete A Story On TikTok: Step-by-Step Guide
After evaluating all relevant factors, you may decide that removing a TikTok Story is the best option. Here’s a simple guide on how to delete a TikTok Story on both iPhone and Android devices.
Step 1: Open TikTok on your device
First, ensure you have the latest TikTok app version installed. App updates often fix bugs, including issues like TikTok comments not showing or deletion buttons not appearing.
Open the TikTok app on your smartphone or tablet.
If prompted, update the app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) to avoid functionality issues.
Log into the account where the Story was posted.
Step 2: Open your TikTok story
Navigate to the Story section where your post is located.
Tap on your profile picture in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Look for the active Stories at the top of your profile.
Swipe through and find the specific Story you want to delete.
If your Story is no longer visible, it might have expired after 24 hours. In that case, you won’t be able to delete TikTok story manually.
Step 3: Tap on the share box
Once you’ve selected the Story:
Tap the Share icon (usually represented by an arrow or three dots).
A menu will appear with multiple options.
Scroll down to locate the Delete option.
Some users may not see the delete button immediately due to app interface changes. If this happens, restart the app or check for updates before attempting to delete story on TikTok again.
Step 4: Delete the story post
To finalize the process:
Tap Delete and confirm your action.
TikTok will prompt you with a warning that the Story cannot be restored once deleted.
Select Delete again to permanently remove the post.
Note: Deleting a TikTok Story means losing all engagement data, including likes, views, and comments. If you’re an advertiser, consider saving performance insights before removing content.
How to Cancel a TikTok Story Upload
Accidentally tapped “Your Story” before you were ready? While TikTok doesn’t offer a “Cancel Upload” button, there’s a simple trick to stop your Story from going live.
The key is to immediately enable Airplane Mode to cut off your internet connection. This prevents TikTok from completing the upload. However, timing is crucial, and you need to act fast!
Steps to Stop a Story Upload:
The moment you accidentally tap “Your Story”, quickly turn on Airplane Mode on your phone.
Exit the TikTok app and wait for 5-10 seconds to ensure the upload is halted.
Turn off Airplane Mode and reopen TikTok.
Go to your Profile and check the Drafts folder. Your Story should now be saved there instead of being posted.
How to Find Expired TikTok Stories
Once a TikTok Story expires, it disappears, but is there a way to retrieve it? TikTok offers a “Story Archive” feature that automatically saves your Stories after they expire, provided it is enabled.
To locate expired Stories, follow these steps:
Tap your profile icon in the bottom-right corner.
Select the lock icon under your TikTok bio to access the private tab.
Choose “Stories Archive”, which appears as the first item in your private videos grid.
To download a specific Story, open it and tap the three-dot settings icon on the right.
Wrap-up
Knowing how to delete TikTok story is pretty simple, but with the right steps, you can save yourself time and frustration. Whether you’re removing a post for privacy reasons or correcting an upload mistake, following these methods ensures you stay in control of your content. If you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to share this post and follow us for more expert TikTok tips and updates.
