How do I delete WhatsApp messages permanently without the possibility of recovery?

How do I delete WhatsApp messages permanently without the possibility of recovery - briefly?

To permanently delete WhatsApp messages without the possibility of recovery, you need to use the "Delete for Everyone" feature within 1 hour and 8 minutes after sending the message. This ensures that both the sender and receiver cannot retrieve the deleted message.

How do I delete WhatsApp messages permanently without the possibility of recovery - in detail?

Deleting WhatsApp messages permanently is a multi-step process that ensures no trace of the conversation remains, even from backups. To achieve this, you need to follow these detailed steps:

1. Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your device.
2. Navigate to the Chat: Go to the chat or message you want to delete permanently.
3. Select the Message(s): Long press on the message you wish to delete until a menu appears at the top of the screen. Tap on the messages you want to delete, or select 'Select All' if you intend to remove all messages in the chat.
4. Delete Messages: Once selected, tap the trash can icon at the top of the screen. Confirm the deletion by tapping 'Delete for Me'. This action removes the message from your device but not from the recipient’s device or any backups.

5. Clear Backup (for Android users): To ensure messages are deleted from local backups, you need to clear the WhatsApp data on your device.

   • Go to 'Settings' > 'Apps' > 'WhatsApp'.
   • Tap on 'Storage & cache'.
   • Select 'Clear Storage' and confirm. Note that this action will remove all local data, including media and messages, from WhatsApp but not from the cloud backup.

6. Delete Backup (for Android users): To delete the chat from Google Drive backup:

   • Open Google Drive on your device or web browser.
   • Search for 'WhatsApp' to locate the backup folder.
   • Select the backup file you want to delete and tap the trash can icon to remove it permanently.

7. Disable Auto Backup (for Android users): To prevent future messages from being backed up, disable auto backup:

   • Open WhatsApp.
   • Go to 'Settings' > 'Chats'.
   • Tap on 'Chat Backup'.
   • Uncheck the box that says 'Include videos' if you want to exclude them from backups.
   • Tap 'Backup' without any selected media to create an empty backup, ensuring no future messages are backed up.

8. Delete and Disable iCloud Backup (for iOS users):

   • Open the 'Settings' app on your iPhone.
   • Go to 'iCloud' > 'Manage Storage' > 'Backups'.
   • Find WhatsApp in the list of backups and delete it.
   • To prevent future messages from being backed up, go back to 'Settings' > 'iCloud' > 'iCloud Drive', and toggle off 'WhatsApp'.

9. Delete Message History: For a more thorough approach, you can delete the entire chat:

   • In WhatsApp, swipe left on the chat you want to delete.
   • Tap 'Delete Chat' and confirm.

By following these steps meticulously, you can ensure that your WhatsApp messages are deleted permanently without any possibility of recovery from local storage or cloud backups.