How to delete messages from a recipient on Android after reading in WhatsApp?

How to delete messages from a recipient on Android after reading in WhatsApp - briefly?

To delete messages from a recipient on Android after reading in WhatsApp, follow these steps:

  1. Open the chat with the recipient.
  2. Select and hold the message you want to delete until the options menu appears, then choose "Delete for Everyone."

How to delete messages from a recipient on Android after reading in WhatsApp - in detail?

To delete messages from a recipient on an Android device after they have been read in WhatsApp, follow these detailed steps:

  1. Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your Android device.
  2. Access the Chat: Navigate to the chat where the message you want to delete is located.
  3. Select the Message: Long press on the specific message you wish to delete until it gets highlighted. If you want to select multiple messages, tap on other messages while they are still highlighted.
  4. Delete for Everyone: Once the message(s) are selected, look at the top bar of your screen and find the trash can icon (?️). Tap on this icon.
  5. Confirmation: A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm the deletion. WhatsApp will inform you that "This is a new feature." Tap on "DELETE FOR EVERYONE" to proceed with the action.
  6. Completion: After tapping, you will see a message indicating that the deletion was successful for both you and the recipient. The message(s) will now be removed from your chat as well as from the recipient's chat.

Important Considerations:

  • Time Limit: You have only 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 30 seconds to delete a message after sending it. After this time frame, the "DELETE FOR EVERYONE" option will no longer be available.
  • Recipient's Settings: The recipient must also have an updated version of WhatsApp for the deletion to be effective on their end. If the recipient has not updated WhatsApp, they might still see the message in their chat history.
  • Notification: Both you and the recipient will see a notification indicating that a message was deleted. However, the content of the message will not be visible.

Additional Notes:

  • Group Chats: The same steps apply for group chats. Select the message(s) in the group chat and use the "DELETE FOR EVERYONE" option.
  • Media Files: Deleting a message that contains media (photos, videos, etc.) will also delete the media from both your and the recipient's devices.

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your WhatsApp messages and ensure that sensitive or incorrectly sent information is removed from the conversation history of both parties.