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How to Delete a TikTok Video in 2023

Published August 9, 2023

Some of your TikTok videos are your pride and joy. You rewatch them from time to time and find them just as entertaining as when you filmed them. But others, sadly, can’t stand the test of time. In fact, you can’t stand the idea of people stumbling upon them and thinking they represent your content perfectly.

Luckily, deleting TikToks from your account is pretty simple, regardless of their stage of completion. Whether you want to delete a video you’ve just started filming, a clip saved in your drafts, or the one that’s been posted for the world to see, you can do that in just a few steps. In the following tutorial, we will show you precisely what to do.

Delete a Video You’re Currently Recording

Before you can share a video on TikTok, you will have to go through a series of screens allowing you to record, edit, and post the clip. If you’re unhappy with your video at any stage, you can delete it and go back to rerecord it from scratch. Here are the steps you need to take if you want to opt out during the recording:

  • Tap the red checkmark in the bottom right-hand side of the screen to stop recording;
  • Select the arrow on the top left to go back to the initial screen;
  • Tap X in the top left corner, then, when prompted, select Discard;
  • Alternatively, you can tap Start over to delete the current video and immediately begin making a new one.

If you press the red button to stop recording or let the blue timer at the top of the screen fully run out, you will be automatically taken to the editing menu. At this stage, you can preview your video and decide whether to proceed or delete it. If you opt for the latter, you simply need to:

  • Tap the arrow in the upper left corner;
  • Press X once it appears in the same part of the screen;
  • Choose Discard or Start over from the following pop-up menu.

Even if you pass the recording and editing screens and reach the posting menu, you can still delete the video by tapping the arrow in the top left corner. That action will take you back to the editing screen, after which you simply need to repeat the steps outlined above.

Delete a Video in Your Drafts

Before posting a video to your TikTok profile, you can save it in drafts and come back to review it later. After all, watching it with fresh eyes may uncover new edits you might make or changes you could implement. Alternatively, you may realize that the video doesn’t make the cut and decide to delete it.

If you want to permanently remove a TikTok from your drafts, here is what you should do:

  • Open the app and tap the Profile tab in the bottom sidebar;
  • Tap on the Drafts folder displayed alongside the posted videos on your profile;
  • Select and hold the video you want to delete. Alternatively, tap Select in the top right corner of the screen to choose the clip;
  • Press Delete at the bottom of the screen and confirm your choice when prompted.

To delete several drafts at once, tap the first one and hold until a checkmark appears on the thumbnail. Afterward, you’ll be able to select several videos by tapping on them. Once you’re done choosing, press Delete and confirm the action.

Delete a Video You’ve Posted

It’s said that the content you post on the Internet stays there forever, but that’s not the case with TikToks. If you decide that a video no longer fits with your account’s theme or aesthetic, you can delete it in a few quick steps:

  • Open the app and tap the Profile tab in the bottom sidebar;
  • Find the video you want to delete and select it;
  • Tap the three dots icon in the right-hand sidebar to open a new menu with three rows;
  • Swipe left in the third row until you reach the Delete button;
  • Tap the button and confirm your choice to remove the video from your profile.

However, although the video in question will be gone from your account, there is a possibility someone downloaded it. To prevent that, you must turn off video downloads in your Privacy tab.

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Written By:
AUTHOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jessica is a consultant, researcher, and the editor-in-chief of the Buzzoid blog, who specializes in social media, marketing, and digital strategy. She is a graduate of Antioch College and earned her MBA at Boston College’s Carroll Graduate School of Management, specializing in STEM Management.

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