Does a notification arrive when you delete a message in WhatsApp?

Does a notification arrive when you delete a message in WhatsApp - briefly?

When you delete a message in WhatsApp, the recipient does not receive a separate notification about the deletion. However, they will see a message stating "This message was deleted" within the chat thread itself.

Does a notification arrive when you delete a message in WhatsApp - in detail?

When you delete a message in WhatsApp, the behavior of notifications depends on several factors, including the type of deletion and the settings of both parties involved—the sender and the recipient.

Firstly, it's important to distinguish between two types of message deletions: "Delete for Me" and "Delete for Everyone."

  1. Delete for Me: This option allows you to delete a message from your device only. The other party will still see the message in their chat history. In this case, no notification is sent to the recipient about the deletion. The action is localized to your own device and does not affect the recipient's chat log or trigger any alerts.
  2. Delete for Everyone: This feature enables you to delete a message from both your device and the recipient’s device, provided that the message is deleted within 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds of being sent. When you use this option, the recipient will receive a notification stating "This message was deleted." However, it's crucial to note that if the deletion timeframe has passed or if the recipient’s device settings do not allow for the update of old messages (for example, if their phone is offline), they may still see the original message without any indication of its deletion.

Additionally, WhatsApp does not send a notification when you delete media files such as images or videos, even if you use the "Delete for Everyone" option. The recipient will only see a placeholder indicating that the file has been deleted but can still view it if they have already downloaded or saved it to their device.

In summary, WhatsApp notifications upon message deletion are context-dependent and governed by the type of deletion chosen and the settings or status of the recipient's device.