How do I clear my WhatsApp contacts - briefly?
To clear your WhatsApp contacts, you can simply delete them from the app. Go to the Contacts tab and select the contact you wish to remove, then tap on the trash can icon or the 'Delete' option. This action will remove the contact from your WhatsApp list but not from your device's contact list.
How do I clear my WhatsApp contacts - in detail?
Clearing your WhatsApp contacts can be necessary for various reasons, such as freeing up space on your device or starting fresh with a new phone. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do this:
Deleting Individual Contacts
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your smartphone.
- Go to Contacts: Tap on the "Contacts" tab at the bottom of the screen (it looks like a person icon).
- Select Contact: Find and tap on the contact you wish to delete.
- Delete Contact: On the contact's information page, tap on the three dots in the top right corner, then select "Delete contact".
- Confirm Deletion: Confirm that you want to delete the contact by tapping "OK" or "Delete".
Deleting Multiple Contacts
Unfortunately, WhatsApp does not provide a built-in feature to delete multiple contacts at once through the app itself. However, you can achieve this by backing up and restoring your WhatsApp data:
- Backup Your Data: Before proceeding with any deletions, it's crucial to back up your chat history. Go to "Settings" > "Chats" > "Chat Backup". Tap on "Back Up" to save your chats to Google Drive or iCloud, depending on your device.
- Uninstall WhatsApp: After backing up your data, uninstall the WhatsApp application from your device.
- Reinstall WhatsApp: Download and reinstall WhatsApp from the app store.
- Restore Data (Optional): When prompted during the setup process, you can choose to restore your chat history from the backup. This step is optional depending on whether you want to keep your message history.
- Start Fresh: Proceed with the initial setup of WhatsApp without restoring any contacts or chats if you wish to start completely fresh.
Deleting Contact Backups on Google Drive (for Android)
If you’ve backed up your contacts on Google Drive, you might want to clear those backups as well:
- Open Google Drive: Go to the Google Drive app or visit drive.google.com.
- Manage Backup: Tap on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner and select "Backup".
- Find WhatsApp Backups: Look for any WhatsApp backups listed under "Backups from this device".
- Delete Backup: Select the backup you want to delete, then tap on the trash can icon to remove it.
Clearing Cache and Data (for Android)
Clearing the cache and data of WhatsApp can also help in freeing up space:
- Go to Settings: Open your device's settings.
- Find Apps: Navigate to "Apps" or "Application Manager".
- Select WhatsApp: Find WhatsApp on the list of installed apps.
- Clear Cache and Data: Tap on "Storage" and then tap on "Clear Cache" and "Clear Data". Note that clearing data will delete your message history, so ensure you have backed up your chats before doing this.
By following these steps, you can effectively clear your WhatsApp contacts and manage your storage space more efficiently.