how to delete instagram photos

Can You Delete a Single Instagram Photo from a Post with Multiple Images

A "Carousel Post" on Instagram is one that consists of multiple images that viewers are able to scroll through to see each photo. This is a great way to share a collection of pictures in a single post, but what if you decide you want to delete one of the photos from the gallery?

Unfortunately, Instagram makes it incredibly difficult to remove one single photo from a post. In this article, we'll walk you through a few options for posting the perfect carousel the easiest way.

Can You Delete a Single Photo from a Carousel Post on Instagram?

Quick Links

Can You Delete a Single Photo from a Carousel Post on Instagram?
- The Workaround
How to Edit Multiple Photos on Instagram After Posting?
Share the Right Photos the First Time
Delete an Instagram Post
Delete an Instagram Carousel Post
Hide Instagram Images Instead of Deleting Them
- Adding Archived Photos Back
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I add a photo to a carousel post?
- Can I edit an Instagram post after uploading photos?
Final Thoughts

If you accidentally include a picture you don't like in your carousel post or decide later that you want to remove a single picture from the post, you probably don't want to have to remove the whole post and redo it.

Unfortunately, once you click the "share" button there isn't a way to remove a single image. The only way to delete an image or video from a carousel post is to delete the whole post.

Hopefully, Instagram will eventually introduce this feature, but until then, you'll have to be mindful about which pictures you include in your multi-image posts. In this article, we'll review a few options that you do have so that you can accomplish your Instagram post goals.

The Workaround

If you're here it's likely because you need to remove a photo from an Instagram post. Perhaps, you're looking for the easiest way to do this since Instagram doesn't allow you to do it. If you still have the original photos simply create a new post and upload them. If you don't, unfortunately, Instagram won't let you save them to your device. Here is what you can do if you no longer have access to the photos:

Take a screenshot of each photo you DO want in your post.
Crop them using your phone's native editing app or another third-party editing app.
Repost the edited images.

As you take screenshots of your photos you'll notice that Instagram has added a numbering system (1/3 or something like that) in the right-hand corner of your picture. This can be annoying but based on our tests of this workaround, if you scroll to the image you're about to screenshot and leave the screen alone for a few seconds, the number will disappear allowing you to screenshot the original image without the numbers in the right corner.

Once you've reposted your Carousel, delete the old one. We have the instructions for this below.

Since Instagram doesn't give us a lot of options here, this is the fastest way to fix your Instagram post that doesn't require any sketchy third-party services.

How to Edit Multiple Photos on Instagram After Posting?

So you can't delete a single image from a carousel post, but can you edit one?

Not really, but there are some things you can do. Clicking on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the post will allow you to make some minor edits to your carousel post. This function will not allow you to remove photos, add photos, or change filters, though.

Instead, it simply allows you to tag people, change the text, or change the location. We do have an article on the subject to help you edit your Instagram post after posting here.

If you want to actually edit the picture itself, you'll have to redo the post entirely.

As there is no way to make substantial edits or add/delete photos after hitting the "Share" button, it's important to get the post right the first time. Creating the perfect carousel post means understanding Instagram's limitations and how to post.

Click the + icon in the bottom center to create a new Instagram post.
Select the Select Multiple icon at the bottom of the page.
Select up to ten images or videos. The order you select them in is the order in which they will appear.
Select Next.
You can apply filters to all the images you selected, or individually select the images for editing and filtering with the Edit button.
When you're finished making changes, select Next.
Finally, you can add a caption, tag people, add your location, or set additional posting options, and make any settings changes you wish.
After that, just select Share.

Scroll through the photos before clicking Next at the top right-hand corner of the app. This will ensure no major edits are needed later on.

Delete an Instagram Post

Getting rid of a single image post on Instagram is very straightforward.

Open Instagram and tap the small profile icon on the lower right-hand corner.
Scroll down your feed to the image post you want to delete.
Select the three-dot menu icon in the top right.
Select Delete.

Once you delete the Instagram post you can simply re-add it back the way you want assuming you still have the photos.

Delete an Instagram Carousel Post

For those who want to delete an Instagram post with multiple images, the process is just the same as it is for Instagram posts with a single image.

Open the post containing the images you want to delete.
Select the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the screen.
Select Delete and confirm.

This will delete the entire Instagram post, including the image(s) you wanted to get rid of to begin with. You can now create a new carousel post using the photos you wanted to keep so your followers don't miss out on anything important.

Hide Instagram Images Instead of Deleting Them

The Instagram archive function is a very effective way to hide your old images without having to delete them. If they are the only copies of the images you have and you don't want to lose them, this is a way of keeping them without leaving them on display.

Select the post you want to archive.
Select the three-dot menu icon in the top right.
Select "Archive." This will instantly remove the image/images from your profile.

With this method you can always bring your posts back to life later on.

Adding Archived Photos Back

From your profile screen, select the three line menu icon.
Select Archive from the list of options.
From there, you'll either see all of your Instagram stories or all of your archived Instagram posts.
1. If you see your stories instead of your archived posts, tap the word Archive at the top of the screen and choose Posts from the drop-down menu.
To restore an archived post to your Instagram profile, select it in the Archive, and select the three-dot menu in the top right of the post.
Choose Show on Profile.

There have been a few reports that archives disappear if you temporarily shut down your Instagram account. Although rare, it's important to be aware of this when archiving posts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a photo to a carousel post?

Unfortunately, Instagram doesn't offer the ability to add a photo to an existing post. Although it seems unreasonable for everyday users, the option to add a photo after you've posted something on Instagram simply isn't there.

You can always upload a new post with the photo or follow the steps above to re-post content the way you want then delete the original post.

Can I edit an Instagram post after uploading photos?

You can change the caption and hashtags but that's really about it. Instagram won't let you change the filters or alter the images after uploading.

We do have a full article on this subject here that will give you some tips and all of the information you need to know about editing Instagram posts after uploading.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, there is currently no way to delete a single picture from a carousel post on Instagram. While Instagram will hopefully introduce this feature in the near future, but you'll have to settle for deleting and redoing the entire post until then.