Your Reddit history is like a digital diary that anyone with access to your account can read. Whether you’re cleaning house before sharing your account, protecting your privacy, or just want a fresh start, knowing how to delete Reddit history is essential. The good news? It’s straightforward once you know where to look. Let’s walk through exactly what you need to do.
Understanding Reddit History Types
Before you start deleting, let’s be clear about what Reddit actually keeps track of. Reddit stores several different types of history, and they work independently of each other. Think of it like having multiple filing cabinets—you need to open each one separately.
Your profile history includes all the posts and comments you’ve made. This is public-facing (unless your account is private) and visible to anyone who visits your profile. Search history tracks what you’ve searched for on Reddit. Saved posts are bookmarks you’ve created for later reference. Upvote and downvote history is technically private, but Reddit knows what you’ve voted on. And comment karma and post karma are tallies that reflect your activity level.
The most important distinction: deleting a post or comment removes it from public view, but Reddit’s servers may retain deleted content for a period of time. If you’re concerned about data privacy at a deeper level, check out Reddit’s privacy community for discussions about data retention policies.
How to Delete Your Comments
Deleting individual comments is the most granular approach. This is what you’ll want to do if you’re selectively removing comments you regret or that don’t align with your current thinking.
On Desktop (Web Browser):
- Log into your Reddit account
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
- Select “Profile” from the dropdown menu
- Navigate to the “Comments” tab
- Find the comment you want to delete
- Click the three-dot menu icon that appears when you hover over the comment
- Select “Delete” from the options
- Confirm the deletion when prompted
The comment will disappear immediately from your profile and from the thread where you posted it. Other users won’t see it anymore, though if they had already replied to your comment, their replies will remain (showing “[deleted]” where your comment was).
On Mobile (Reddit App):
- Open the Reddit app and log in
- Tap your profile icon at the bottom right
- Select “Comments” from your profile
- Swipe left on the comment (iOS) or long-press it (Android)
- Tap “Delete”
- Confirm the action
Mobile deletion works the same way as desktop—the comment vanishes immediately. If you’ve made hundreds of comments, deleting them one-by-one will take forever. That’s where bulk deletion tools come in handy, which we’ll cover later.
How to Delete Your Posts
Deleting posts follows the same logic as comments, but posts are usually more significant (they take up more space on your profile). If you’ve posted something controversial, embarrassing, or just want to start fresh, here’s how to remove them.
Desktop Process:
- Go to your profile (click your avatar, then “Profile”)
- Click the “Posts” tab
- Locate the post you want to delete
- Click the three-dot menu on the post
- Select “Delete”
- Confirm when asked
Mobile Process:
- Open your profile in the Reddit app
- Tap “Posts”
- Swipe left (iOS) or long-press (Android) the post
- Tap “Delete” and confirm
Here’s something important to know: if your post has been heavily upvoted or commented on, deleting it won’t erase it from Reddit’s search index immediately. It may still appear in Google search results for a while. If you need that content gone faster, you might want to contact Reddit’s support team directly, though they’re notoriously slow to respond.
Clearing Your Search History
Your search history on Reddit shows what topics, communities, and keywords you’ve looked up. It’s not as publicly visible as your posts and comments, but it’s still tracked.
To clear search history on desktop:
- Click the search bar at the top of the page
- Your recent searches will appear in a dropdown
- Click the “X” next to each search term to remove it individually
- Or, look for a “Clear all” option if available
On mobile:
- Tap the search icon (magnifying glass)
- Your search history appears below the search box
- Tap the “X” next to each search to remove it
- Swipe left on searches to delete them quickly
Unlike your posts and comments, search history doesn’t accumulate on your profile—it’s just a personal record on your device and Reddit’s servers. Clearing it is more about privacy from people who might use your device or account.
Managing Saved Posts and Collections
Saved posts are bookmarks you’ve created. They’re private by default, but they still exist in your account. If you’re sharing your account temporarily or just want to clean up, here’s how to manage them.
Deleting individual saved posts:
- Go to your profile and click “Saved”
- You’ll see all your saved posts and comments
- Click the bookmark icon (or three-dot menu) on any item
- Select “Unsave” to remove it from your saved list
Managing collections:
Reddit allows you to organize saved posts into collections. If you’ve created collections, you can delete them by:
- Going to your “Saved” section
- Clicking on a collection name
- Clicking the three-dot menu at the top
- Selecting “Delete collection”
Deleting a collection removes the organization but doesn’t delete the original posts. If you want those posts gone entirely, you’ll need to unsave them individually.
Using Third-Party Tools for Bulk Deletion
If you have years of Reddit history and want to nuke it all at once, manual deletion will drive you insane. Third-party tools can automate this process, though you need to be careful about which ones you trust.
Popular bulk deletion tools:
- Reddit Data Eraser – A browser extension that automates comment and post deletion. It works by simulating your clicks, so it takes time but is reliable.
- PowerDeleteSuite – A JavaScript-based tool that requires you to paste code into your browser console. It’s more technical but very effective.
- Shreddit – A Python script that connects to Reddit’s API. It’s the most powerful option but requires some coding knowledge.
Before using any third-party tool, understand what you’re granting access to. Tools that ask for your Reddit password are risky—use ones that authenticate through Reddit’s official OAuth system instead. Also, Reddit’s terms of service technically prohibit automated deletion at scale, though enforcement is rare for users deleting their own content.
According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Reddit has been increasingly restrictive about third-party tool access, so some tools may stop working if Reddit changes its API policies.
Pro tip: If you’re using a bulk deletion tool, start with a small sample of your history first to make sure it works as expected. Don’t nuke your entire account history on the first try.
Adjusting Privacy Settings After Deletion
Once you’ve deleted your history, it’s worth reviewing your privacy settings to prevent future accumulation of sensitive data. Similar to how you might want to turn off active status on Instagram for privacy, Reddit has several toggles worth adjusting.
Key privacy settings to review:
- Profile visibility – Make your profile private so only you can see your posts and comments
- Allow people to follow you – Toggle this off if you don’t want followers tracking your activity
- Show presence – Disable “active now” status so others don’t know when you’re online
- Data and privacy – Review what Reddit collects about your behavior
- Personalization – Opt out of personalized ads based on your Reddit activity
To access these settings:
- Click your profile icon and select “Settings”
- Navigate to “Privacy and Safety”
- Adjust each toggle according to your preferences
- Scroll down to “Data and Privacy” for additional controls
If you’re really serious about privacy, you might also want to check out how to hide apps on Android or similar techniques to keep your Reddit usage less visible on your devices.
One more thing: consider whether you want to delete your account entirely. If you’ve already removed all your history and want a complete fresh start, Reddit allows you to deactivate or delete your account from the settings menu. Deactivation is temporary; deletion is permanent after 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a Reddit post or comment really remove it forever?
– Deleted posts and comments disappear from public view immediately, but Reddit’s servers may retain copies for a period of time. If your content was indexed by Google or archived by third-party sites like Archive.org, it might still be accessible there. For true permanent deletion, contact Reddit directly, though response times are slow.
Can other people see my deleted comments?
– No, once deleted, your comment shows as “[deleted]” to other users. They can’t read the content anymore, but they can see that a comment existed and was removed. If they had already replied to your comment, their replies will remain visible.
Will deleting my history affect my Reddit karma?
– No. Deleting posts and comments doesn’t change your karma score. Karma is a separate metric that reflects your overall activity. If you want to reset your karma, you’d need to delete your account entirely.
Is it safe to use third-party deletion tools?
– Generally yes, if you use reputable tools that authenticate through Reddit’s official system rather than asking for your password. However, Reddit’s terms of service technically prohibit bulk automated deletion, though enforcement against users is rare. Use at your own discretion.
Can I delete my search history on Reddit?
– Yes. Your search history is stored locally on your device and on Reddit’s servers. You can clear individual searches or all searches at once from the search dropdown menu on both desktop and mobile.
What’s the difference between deactivating and deleting my Reddit account?
– Deactivation is temporary—you can reactivate your account anytime. Deletion is permanent after 30 days. Both remove your profile from public view, but deletion is irreversible. Before deleting, make sure you’ve downloaded any content you want to keep.
Will clearing my history improve my Reddit privacy?
– It helps, but it’s not a complete privacy solution. Clearing history removes the visible record of your activity, but Reddit still knows what you’ve done based on your IP address and account activity. For better privacy, also adjust your privacy settings and consider using a VPN when browsing.
How long does it take to delete a large history using bulk tools?
– It depends on how many posts and comments you have. A tool like Reddit Data Eraser might take several hours to delete thousands of items because it simulates manual clicks to avoid detection. Shreddit and other API-based tools are faster but may hit rate limits. Plan for several hours if you have years of history.
