How to clear WhatsApp history for everyone - briefly?
To delete your WhatsApp history from all devices, you need to follow these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp application on your phone.
- Go to "Settings" > "Chats" > "Chat History" and select "Delete All Chats".
How to clear WhatsApp history for everyone - in detail?
Clearing WhatsApp history is a task that many users may need to perform for various reasons, such as freeing up storage space or maintaining privacy. It's important to note that WhatsApp doesn't provide a direct "clear all" button for messages, but there are several methods you can use to achieve this goal. Here’s a detailed guide on how to clear WhatsApp history for everyone:
Method 1: Delete Messages Manually
To delete messages manually, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your device.
- Select Conversation: Choose the chat or conversation you want to clear.
- Delete for Everyone (if available): For individual messages, long-press the message and select "Delete". Then tap on "Delete for everyone" if it’s available within 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds of sending the message. This will delete the message from both your device and the recipient's device.
- Delete Entire Conversation: If you want to clear the entire conversation history with a contact, tap on their name at the top of the chat screen. Select "More options" (three dots) > "Delete chat". Choose whether you want to delete media from your device as well.
Method 2: Use WhatsApp’s Built-in Storage Management Feature
WhatsApp offers a built-in storage management feature that allows you to clear history selectively based on the type of media and size. Here’s how to use it:
- Open WhatsApp Settings: Tap on the three dots (More options) in the top right corner of the main screen, then select "Settings".
- Go to Storage and Data: Navigate to “Storage and Data”.
- Manage Storage: Under this section, you will see different categories like "Media in WhatsApp", "Chats", etc. Tap on each category to review the size of data stored and choose to delete specific items.
- Clear Chats: You can also find an option to "Clear All Chats" under “Manage storage”. This will remove all chat history from your device but keep media files unless you select the option to delete them as well.
Method 3: Backup and Reset WhatsApp
If you need a more thorough cleanup, consider backing up your data and then resetting WhatsApp:
- Backup Your Chats: Go to "Settings" > "Chats" > "Chat Backup". Tap on "Back Up" to create a backup of your conversations on Google Drive or iCloud (depending on the platform).
- Uninstall and Reinstall WhatsApp: After backing up, uninstall WhatsApp from your device. Then, download and reinstall it from the app store.
- Restore Backup: During the setup process, you will be prompted to restore your chat history from the backup. Choose this option if you want to keep some of your conversation history.
- Start Fresh: If you don’t wish to restore any chats, simply set up WhatsApp as a new user. This will effectively clear all previous history on your device.
Method 4: Clear Cache and Data (Android Only)
For Android users, you can also manually clear the cache and data of WhatsApp through the device settings:
- Go to Settings: Open your device’s Settings app.
- Navigate to Apps: Scroll down and tap on "Apps" or "Application Manager".
- Find WhatsApp: Locate WhatsApp in the list of installed applications.
- Clear Cache and Data: Tap on "Storage & cache", then clear both "Cache" and "Data". Note that clearing data will delete all local data associated with WhatsApp, including messages and media.
By following these methods, you can effectively clear your WhatsApp history for everyone involved in your conversations. Always ensure you have the necessary backups before proceeding with any deletion to avoid losing important data.