How to delete a sent message for the recipient in WhatsApp - briefly?
In WhatsApp, you can delete a sent message for all recipients within 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 0 seconds of sending it. To do this, open the chat containing the message, tap and hold on the message, then select "Delete" > "Delete for everyone".
How to delete a sent message for the recipient in WhatsApp - in detail?
Deleting a sent message on WhatsApp can be a useful feature when you need to correct an error or remove sensitive information. WhatsApp offers this functionality, but it comes with certain conditions and limitations. Here's a detailed guide on how to delete a sent message for the recipient in WhatsApp:
Understanding the Limitation:
Firstly, it’s crucial to understand that you can only delete messages within seven minutes after sending them. After this timeframe, the option becomes unavailable. This limitation ensures that recipients have enough time to read and process the message before it gets deleted.
Steps to Delete a Sent Message:
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your device.
- Navigate to the Chat: Go to the chat where you sent the message you want to delete.
- Select the Message: Long-press on the message until it gets highlighted. You can select multiple messages if needed.
- Delete for Everyone: Once the message is selected, tap on the trash can icon located at the top of the screen. This will open a menu with two options: "Delete for Me" and "Delete for Everyone".
- Confirm Deletion: Tap on "Delete for Everyone". WhatsApp will then attempt to delete the message from both your device and the recipient’s device. Note that this action cannot be undone.
Important Considerations:
- Success Notification: After you initiate the deletion, you will see a notification saying "You deleted this message" in place of the original message. However, recipients will see "This message was deleted" if they haven’t read it yet or if their device is offline at the time of deletion.
- Read Receipts: If the recipient has already read the message before you delete it, they won't be able to see its content anymore, but they will know that a message was deleted.
- Backup and Notifications: Deleting messages for everyone does not affect your backups or the notifications that were sent prior to deletion.
Technical Aspects:
WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, which means only you and the recipient can read the messages. When you delete a message, WhatsApp replaces the original message with an update stating "This message was deleted". This ensures that even though the content is removed, the integrity of the conversation history remains intact.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your communication on WhatsApp and ensure that any sensitive or incorrect information does not remain in the chat history for longer than necessary.