How to delete read SMS from WhatsApp - briefly?
To delete read SMS from WhatsApp, you can follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the chat containing the messages you want to delete.
- Tap and hold on the message(s) you wish to remove, then select the trash can icon at the top of the screen.
How to delete read SMS from WhatsApp - in detail?
Deleting read SMS from WhatsApp can be a useful task for various reasons, such as freeing up storage space or maintaining privacy. While WhatsApp does not offer a direct feature to delete already read messages, there are several workarounds that users can employ. Below is a detailed guide on how to achieve this:
Deleting Messages from Both Sides (For Recent Messages)
If you want to delete a message for both the sender and the receiver, you have 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 5 seconds after sending the message to do so. Here’s how:
- Open WhatsApp on your device.
- Navigate to the chat where the message is located.
- Long-press the message you want to delete until it gets highlighted.
- Tap on the three dots (⋮) or trash can icon that appears at the top of the screen.
- Select Delete for everyone. This will remove the message from both your device and the recipient’s device.
Deleting Messages Only for You (For Any Message)
If you want to delete a message only on your side, regardless of how long ago it was sent or received, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your device.
- Navigate to the chat where the message is located.
- Long-press the message you want to delete until it gets highlighted.
- Tap on the three dots (⋮) or trash can icon that appears at the top of the screen.
- Select Delete for me. This will remove the message from your device but not from the recipient’s device.
Clearing Entire Chat History
If you wish to delete all messages in a chat, including read ones, you can do so by clearing the entire chat history:
- Open WhatsApp on your device.
- Navigate to the chat whose history you want to clear.
- Tap on the three dots (⋮) at the top-right corner of the screen.
- Select More.
- Choose Clear Chat. This will delete all messages, both sent and received, from your device but not from the recipient’s device.
Backing Up Your Chats Before Deletion
Before you proceed with deleting any messages or chat history, it is advisable to back up your chats:
- Open WhatsApp on your device.
- Go to Settings.
- Select Chats.
- Tap on Chat Backup.
- Follow the instructions to create a backup of your chats. This ensures that you do not lose important messages inadvertently.
By following these steps, users can effectively manage and delete read SMS from WhatsApp, ensuring their privacy and optimizing storage space as needed.