How to delete WhatsApp SMS for everyone - briefly?
To delete a WhatsApp message for everyone, you need to use the "Delete for Everyone" feature within 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds of sending the message. Simply tap and hold the message, select "Delete," and choose "Delete for Everyone." This action will remove the message from both your device and the recipient's device.
How to delete WhatsApp SMS for everyone - in detail?
Deleting a WhatsApp message can be a necessary action, whether it's due to an error or the need for privacy. However, it's important to understand that while you can delete messages from your device and even from your chat partner’s phone, complete erasure across all devices is not feasible. Here are the detailed steps on how to delete WhatsApp SMS for everyone:
- Delete for Me: This option deletes the message only from your device. To do this, open WhatsApp and go to the chat containing the message you want to delete. Long press on the message until the options menu appears at the top of the screen. Select "Delete" > "Delete for me". This will remove the message from your phone but not from anyone else's device.
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Delete for Everyone: This feature allows you to delete a message from everyone’s device involved in the chat. However, it comes with certain conditions and limitations:
- The message must be sent less than 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 0 seconds ago. If more time has passed, this option will not be available.
- Both you and your recipient must be using the latest version of WhatsApp for this feature to work correctly.
To use this feature, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and navigate to the chat containing the message you want to delete.
- Long press on the message until the options menu appears at the top of the screen.
- Select "Delete" > "Delete for everyone". Confirm the action when prompted.
Note that even if you successfully delete a message using this option, there is still no guarantee that the recipient did not see the message before you deleted it. WhatsApp cannot prevent recipients from creating copies of messages (e.g., screenshots) or forwarding them to others before they are deleted.
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Revoke Message: If you realize immediately after sending a message that you want to delete it, you can revoke the message within 5 seconds of sending it. This feature is available for all types of messages (text, images, videos, etc.). To do this:
- After sending a message, tap and hold on it until the options menu appears at the top of the screen.
- Select "Revoke". The message will be deleted from both your device and the recipient’s device before they have a chance to read it.
In conclusion, while WhatsApp provides tools for deleting messages, complete erasure across all devices is not guaranteed due to the nature of digital communication. Always remember that once a message is sent, there is potential for it to be seen or copied by recipients before you can delete it.