How do I delete messages for myself and the recipient in WhatsApp - briefly?
To delete messages for both yourself and the recipient on WhatsApp:
- Open the chat containing the message you want to delete.
- Select the message, tap "Delete" > "Delete for everyone".
How do I delete messages for myself and the recipient in WhatsApp - in detail?
Deleting messages on WhatsApp can be a crucial task for maintaining privacy or correcting errors. The platform offers two primary methods to remove messages: deletion for yourself and deletion for both you and the recipient. Here’s how you can achieve each of these actions in detail.
Deleting Messages for Yourself
Deleting a message for yourself is straightforward and only removes the message from your device, not from the recipient's device. To do this:
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your mobile device.
- Navigate to Chats: Go to the 'Chats' section where all your conversations are listed.
- Select a Chat: Tap on the chat from which you want to delete the message.
- Long Press on Message: Locate the message you wish to delete and long-press it until a menu appears at the top of the screen.
- Delete for Me: In the menu, select 'Delete for Me'. This action will remove the message from your device but leave it intact on the recipient’s device.
Deleting Messages for Both You and the Recipient
This feature is particularly useful if you want to ensure that a sent message does not remain visible on either end. Note that this option is only available for a limited time after sending the message:
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your mobile device.
- Navigate to Chats: Go to the 'Chats' section where all your conversations are listed.
- Select a Chat: Tap on the chat from which you want to delete the message.
- Long Press on Message: Locate the message you wish to delete and long-press it until a menu appears at the top of the screen.
- Delete for Everyone: In the menu, select 'Delete for Everyone'. This action will remove the message from both your device and the recipient’s device if done within the allowed time frame (1 hour, 8 minutes, 30 seconds after sending).
Important Considerations
- Time Limit: The ‘Delete for Everyone’ feature is only effective within a specific time window. After this period, you can only delete messages for yourself.
- Notification: If the recipient has notifications turned on, they will see a message indicating that a message was deleted.
- Media Files: Deleting media files like images or videos works similarly but might still leave traces if the file has already been downloaded by the recipient.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage and control your messages on WhatsApp, ensuring your conversations remain private and error-free.