How to delete a message in WhatsApp if a lot of time has passed - briefly?
To delete a message in WhatsApp that was sent long ago, you can follow these steps:
- Open the chat where the message is located.
- Press and hold on the message until a menu appears, then select "Delete" and confirm your choice.
How to delete a message in WhatsApp if a lot of time has passed - in detail?
Deleting a message in WhatsApp that was sent long ago can be a bit challenging, but it is certainly possible with the right steps. Here's a detailed guide on how to delete old messages from both individual chats and group conversations:
Individual Chats
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your smartphone.
- Select Chat: Go to the chat where you want to delete an old message. Scroll up to find the specific message you wish to remove.
- Long Press on Message: Tap and hold the message until a menu appears at the top of the screen.
- Delete for Me/Delete for Everyone: If you see the "Delete for Me" option, it means the message was not successfully delivered. Selecting this will delete the message from your device but not from the recipient's phone. If you see "Delete for Everyone," the message can be deleted from both your and the recipient’s devices.
- Confirmation: A confirmation dialog will appear. Tap "Delete" to confirm the action.
Group Chats
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your smartphone.
- Select Group Chat: Open the group chat where you want to delete an old message. Scroll up to locate the specific message.
- Long Press on Message: Tap and hold the message until a menu appears at the top of the screen.
- Delete for Me/Delete for Everyone: Similar to individual chats, if you see "Delete for Me," it means the message was not successfully delivered and can only be deleted from your device. If you see "Delete for Everyone," the message can be deleted from all participants' devices.
- Confirmation: A confirmation dialog will appear. Tap "Delete" to confirm the deletion.
Important Notes
- Time Limit: The "Delete for Everyone" feature is only available within 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds after sending a message. After this time frame, you can only delete messages from your device using the "Delete for Me" option.
- Recipient Awareness: Even if you successfully delete a message using "Delete for Everyone," recipients may still see a notification indicating that a message was deleted.
- Backup: Deleted messages are not removed from backups, so be cautious when sharing sensitive information.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage and clean up your WhatsApp conversations, even if a lot of time has passed since the messages were sent.