How To Delete A Story On Facebook?
By design, Facebook Stories are ephemeral and self-destruct after twenty-four hours of attracting likes, comments, and views. But what if you want to delete the story before the algorithm automatically drags it into digital oblivion?
The action is super simple and intuitive, and you can do it as soon as the story is online, avoiding any potential embarrassment. This article will give you a proven method to get rid of history. And there are also other tips on how to use this disappearing feature.
Delete a Facebook Story
This quick guide assumes that you're already signed in to your Facebook account on a desktop or mobile app. Speaking of which, the action is the same on desktop and mobile. Therefore, there is no need to include additional steps.
Note: When using Facebook on your computer, the story may not appear immediately in your feed. If this happens, click "See All" and select your username. There is also a notification that you have an active story.
Stage 1
Once your story is live, click or tap on it, then select the three horizontal dots in the top right corner of the screen.
This action reveals a More menu and you need to choose “Delete Video” to remove the story from the stream. If you used an image, the option will say “Delete Photo”.
Step 2
After clicking or tapping on the designated option, there is nothing else to do, you have deleted the story successfully. Yes there may be a pop-up window asking you to confirm your decision.
Anyway, the More menu has another option under “Delete Video/Photo”. The “Something Went Wrong” feature is here to help you fix story issues.
You should briefly describe the problem and optionally include a screenshot of the problem. But it should only be used when there is something wrong with the system.
For example, you can use this query if Facebook is still unable to publish your stories, both through the desktop app and the mobile app. The same is true if all stories appear black or won't play when loaded.
Otherwise, it's much easier to delete the story and try to post it again. With that in mind, Facebook is very quick to respond to your query and may resolve the issue within hours.
Delete a Story Before Publishing It
There is no reason or option to delete a story before publishing it, Facebook does not save your story as a draft. If you are not satisfied with the result, use the edit menu to improve it. Or you can just tap or click the left arrow button to exit the main menu.
How To Extend The Lifecycle of A Story?
Now that you know how to delete a story permanently, it's time to see how to keep it for more than twenty-four hours. But there is one thing you should know.
When you enable the Facebook stories archive, all your stories go there. There is no way to program the social network to automatically save some stories and delete others. And if you decide you no longer need the file, all saved stories will be deleted.
Again, the same steps apply to the Facebook desktop and mobile app, so there's no need for separate guides.
Stage 1
If you're on the mobile app, tap on your profile picture and select three horizontal dots next to "Add Story." Desktop users should choose their username and click Archive below the cover photo.
2nd step
Click the gear icon to access the settings and click “Enable story archiving”. On a mobile device, select "Your Stories Archive," tap three horizontal dots, then the gear icon. Then you can activate the file. The best thing about this feature is that it also saves all reactions and comments to your stories.
Delete An Archived Story
This action is similar to deleting active stories. But this time, you access the files instead of the story thread.
Tap the three dots to access the More menu and choose Story Archive. To remind you on a desktop, it's just File. Now choose the story you want to delete and tap on the three horizontal dots again.
Select “Delete Video/Photo” from the drop-down menu and confirm your choice in the pop-up window. That's it, the archived story is gone.
In general, the menus to manage stories are very good and intuitive. The only thing that could be better is choosing which stories to archive. Something like an option to save only the stories that have the most reactions or comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share a story with certain friends on Facebook?
Yes. Unfortunately, the process is not as straightforward as the Instagram story. When you are on the edit page, tap on the “Privacy” option in the bottom left corner.
You can make your story public, you can share it with friends, or you can use the “Customize” option to share it with specific people.
If you want only some of your friends to see your story, use the Privacy option to control who can see it.
What does the story tell you?
In addition to the features described, you can also filter which users can see your story. Before posting, there is a Privacy button to target people who will appreciate your post. Be careful if you choose Public, anyone with Messenger or Facebook will be able to see it.
