How to delete chat history from the WhatsApp cloud - briefly?
To delete your chat history from WhatsApp's cloud backup, you need to uninstall and then reinstall the app on your device. This action will prompt you with an option to delete your message history before starting fresh.
How to delete chat history from the WhatsApp cloud - in detail?
Deleting chat history from WhatsApp cloud involves a series of steps that ensure your data is permanently removed. It's important to note that once you delete your messages, they cannot be recovered, so it’s crucial to back up any important information before proceeding.
Firstly, it's essential to understand the difference between deleting messages from your device and deleting them from WhatsApp's cloud storage. Deleting messages from your device only removes them locally; they remain in WhatsApp’s servers unless you specifically delete them from there as well.
To delete chat history from the WhatsApp cloud, follow these detailed steps:
- Backup Your Data: Before deleting any data, it's always a good idea to create a backup of your important messages and media files. You can do this by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. This will save your chat history to Google Drive or iCloud depending on your device.
- Delete Messages Locally: Start by deleting the messages from your device. Open the chat you want to delete, tap and hold the message until a menu appears, then select "Delete" for individual messages or "Delete All" to remove the entire conversation.
- Clear WhatsApp Cache: Clearing the cache can help free up space on your device and ensure that old data doesn't interfere with new information. Go to your phone’s settings, find the application manager (or app info), select WhatsApp, and tap "Clear Cache."
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Delete Backup from Google Drive or iCloud: After deleting messages locally, you need to delete them from the cloud backup as well. For Android users:
- Go to your phone’s settings > Storage & USB.
- Tap on Internal Storage and then tap on WhatsApp.
- Clear data by tapping on "Clear Data."
For iPhone users, you can delete backups from iCloud by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > WhatsApp, and then deleting the backup.
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Unlink Google Drive or iCloud: Unlink your WhatsApp account from Google Drive or iCloud. For Android users:
For iPhone users, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and turn off WhatsApp.
- Reinstall WhatsApp: As a final step to ensure that all local data is removed, you can uninstall and then reinstall the WhatsApp application on your device. This will remove any residual data stored locally.
By following these steps, you can effectively delete your chat history from both your device and WhatsApp’s cloud storage. It's crucial to remember that once deleted, this data cannot be recovered, so always ensure you have backed up any important information before proceeding with the deletion process.