How to delete all messages in WhatsApp forever - briefly?
To permanently delete all messages in WhatsApp, you can use the "Delete for Me" or "Clear All Chats" feature. This will remove all conversations from your device without affecting other users' chats.
How to delete all messages in WhatsApp forever - in detail?
To permanently delete all messages from WhatsApp, you need to follow a series of steps that will ensure your data is irreversibly removed. This process involves deleting the message history locally on your device and then clearing the backup stored in cloud services. Here’s a detailed guide:
Firstly, it's important to note that WhatsApp does not provide a direct option to delete all messages at once due to data privacy concerns. However, you can achieve this by following these steps:
Deleting Messages Locally on Your Device
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your device.
- Access Settings: Tap on the three dots in the top right corner (for Android) or go to the "Settings" tab at the bottom (for iOS).
- Chats: Select "Chats" from the settings menu.
- Chat History: Go to "Chat History."
- Delete All Chats: Choose "Delete All Chats." You will be prompted with a warning about the irreversibility of this action. Confirm your decision by tapping "OK."
Clearing Backup from Cloud Services
WhatsApp messages are often backed up to cloud services such as Google Drive or iCloud. To ensure complete deletion, you must also clear these backups:
For Android Users (Google Drive):
- Open WhatsApp: Launch the application.
- Access Settings: Tap on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Settings."
- Chats: Go to "Chats."
- Chat Backup: Select "Chat backup."
- Delete Backup: Tap on "Delete backup" at the bottom of the screen. Confirm your action when prompted.
- Clear Storage: Additionally, you can clear WhatsApp storage by going to your device's settings, selecting "Apps," finding WhatsApp, and tapping on "Storage & cache." Clear both options.
For iOS Users (iCloud):
- Open Settings: Go to your iPhone’s settings.
- WhatsApp: Scroll down and tap on "WhatsApp."
- Chat Backup: Select "Chat Backup."
- Delete Backup: Tap on "Delete Backup" at the bottom of the screen. Confirm your action when prompted.
- Clear Storage: To clear storage, go to your iPhone’s settings, select "General," then "iPhone Storage," find WhatsApp, and tap on it. Choose "Offload App" to remove the app but keep its data, then reinstall WhatsApp.
Important Considerations
- Backup: Before proceeding with these steps, ensure you have backed up any important messages or media that you might need in the future.
- Group Chats: Deleting all messages will also remove you from group chats. You can rejoin them if needed.
- Media Files: Deleted messages may still leave behind media files (images, videos). To completely clear these, go to your device’s file manager and manually delete the WhatsApp folder or its contents.
By following these detailed steps, you can ensure that all your WhatsApp messages are permanently deleted from both your local storage and cloud backups.