If I delete a contact from WhatsApp, what happens - briefly?
When you delete a contact from WhatsApp, the messages and calls between you and that contact are not erased. However, you will no longer see their name or profile picture in your contacts list.
If I delete a contact from WhatsApp, what happens - in detail?
When you delete a contact from WhatsApp, several changes occur that affect both your device and the communication with that particular user. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happens:
Contact Information Removal
- WhatsApp Interface: The deleted contact will no longer appear in your contacts list within the WhatsApp application. This means you won't see their name or profile picture when searching for them to start a new chat.
- Chat History: Deleting a contact from WhatsApp does not automatically delete the chat history with that contact. However, if you want to remove all traces of communication, you will need to manually delete the conversation thread separately.
Communication Impact
- Future Messages: You will still receive messages from the deleted contact. WhatsApp uses phone numbers as identifiers for conversations, so even if the name and profile picture are removed, messages sent by that number will continue to appear in your message inbox.
- Incoming Calls: Similarly, you can still receive calls from the deleted contact. The call will show up with their phone number rather than their name or profile picture.
- Group Chats: If you and the deleted contact are part of a group chat, both of you will remain in the group. You won't see their name in the participant list, but their messages will still appear in the group conversation.
Data Storage
- Media Files: Any media files (images, videos, documents) shared by the deleted contact will remain on your device unless you manually delete them. These files are stored locally on your phone and not tied to the contact information in WhatsApp.
- Backup: If you have enabled backups for your WhatsApp data, any chats with the deleted contact will also be backed up. This means that even if you delete the chat history manually from your device, it may still exist in your backup storage (e.g., Google Drive or iCloud).
Notifications and Settings
- Notifications: Deleting a contact does not change notification settings for that particular user. If you have set specific alerts for their messages, those settings will remain unchanged.
- Privacy Settings: Any privacy settings related to the deleted contact (such as read receipts or last seen status) will also stay in place unless manually adjusted by you.
Restoring the Contact
- Re-addition: If you decide to re-add the contact, all previous chat history with that user will be restored automatically. This is because WhatsApp stores conversation data based on phone numbers rather than contact names or profiles.
- Profile Picture and Name: When you add the contact back, their profile picture and name will also be updated in your contacts list within WhatsApp.
In summary, deleting a contact from WhatsApp primarily removes them from your visible contacts list but does not affect chat history or future communication with that user. For complete removal of all data related to the contact, manual deletion of chat history and media files is necessary.