If I delete WhatsApp, will the messages be deleted - briefly?
If you delete WhatsApp from your device, your messages will not be automatically deleted. They will remain on the servers of the application until you manually delete them or the storage limit is reached.
If I delete WhatsApp, will the messages be deleted - in detail?
When you delete the WhatsApp application from your device, the impact on your messages depends on several factors. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens to your messages after deleting the app:
- Local Storage: If you have enabled the "Chat Backup" feature in WhatsApp settings, all your chats and media are backed up to either Google Drive (for Android users) or iCloud (for iOS users). When you delete the app, these backups remain intact on the cloud storage service. However, if you reinstall WhatsApp and restore from a backup, your messages will be available again.
- Media Files: Photos, videos, and other media files sent or received via WhatsApp are typically stored in your device's local storage under the WhatsApp folder. Deleting the app does not automatically remove these files from your device. You can still access them through your device's file manager or gallery app.
- Device Storage: If you have not backed up your chats and simply delete the WhatsApp application, all chat history stored locally on your device will be removed. This means that any messages, photos, videos, links, or documents shared within those conversations will no longer be accessible unless you have a backup stored elsewhere.
- WhatsApp Servers: It's important to note that WhatsApp does not store your messages on its servers once they are delivered. The end-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can read the messages, and even WhatsApp cannot access them. Therefore, deleting the app will not affect the storage of messages on WhatsApp's servers because they were never stored there in the first place.
- Contact List: Deleting WhatsApp does not delete your contact list or any other personal data from your device. Your contacts will remain accessible through other apps and services on your phone.
In summary, if you have enabled chat backup before deleting WhatsApp, your messages will be safe and can be restored upon reinstallation. If you haven't backed up your chats, deleting the app will result in the loss of locally stored messages and media files. It is always a good practice to regularly back up your important conversations to avoid any data loss.