How to completely delete a WhatsApp conversation without recovery?

How to completely delete a WhatsApp conversation without recovery - briefly?

To permanently delete a WhatsApp conversation without the possibility of recovery, follow these steps:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat you want to delete.
2. Tap on the three dots in the top right corner, select "More," then "Delete Chat." Choose "Delete for Everyone" if available, otherwise select "Delete for Me."

How to completely delete a WhatsApp conversation without recovery - in detail?

To permanently delete a WhatsApp conversation without any possibility of recovery, you need to follow these detailed steps:

1. Backup Your Chats:

   Before proceeding with the deletion process, it is crucial to create a backup of your chats. This ensures that you do not lose any important messages unintentionally. To back up your WhatsApp data on an iPhone, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. For Android users, navigate to Settings > Chats > Backup and tap on the BACK UP button.

2. Delete Individual or Group Chat:

   • Open WhatsApp and locate the chat you want to delete.
   • Swipe left on the chat (iPhone) or long-press on the chat (Android).
   • Tap on the Delete option that appears at the bottom of your screen.

3. Permanently Delete from Backup:

   Simply deleting a chat from your phone does not remove it from your backup, meaning it can still be restored. To ensure complete removal:

   • For iPhone Users:

     • Open Settings on your iPhone.
     • Navigate to WhatsApp > Chats.
     • Tap on Chat Backup.
     • Scroll down and tap on the specific chat you want to delete from the backup.
     • Confirm the deletion by tapping Delete.

   • For Android Users:

     • Open the File Manager app on your phone.
     • Navigate to WhatsApp > Databases.
     • Locate the file named after the contact or group you want to delete (e.g., msgstore-2023-10-15.db.crypt14).
     • Delete this specific file. This action will remove the chat from your backup, ensuring it cannot be restored.

4. Clear WhatsApp Cache:

   After deleting the chat and verifying its removal from the backup, clear the WhatsApp cache to free up storage space:

   • For iPhone Users:

     • Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
     • Scroll down and tap on WhatsApp.
     • Tap on Offload App and confirm. This will remove the app but keep your data. Reinstall WhatsApp from the App Store to complete the process.

   • For Android Users:

     • Open Settings on your phone.
     • Navigate to Apps > WhatsApp.
     • Tap on Storage & cache.
     • Clear the cache by tapping on Clear Cache.

By following these steps, you can ensure that a specific WhatsApp conversation is permanently deleted from both your device and any backup storage, making it irretrievable.