If you clear the chat in WhatsApp, is it deleted from both sides - briefly?
When a user clears chats in WhatsApp, the messages are only removed from their own device and not from the recipient's side. This action does not delete conversations or messages from the other participant’s chat history.
If you clear the chat in WhatsApp, is it deleted from both sides - in detail?
When you delete a chat or message in WhatsApp, the action is local and does not affect the other participant's device. Deleting a chat on your end simply removes it from your view; the conversation remains intact on the recipient's device. This means that while you may no longer see the messages on your screen, they are still present in the conversation history of the person you were communicating with.
To further explain, WhatsApp's design emphasizes the privacy and control of individual users over their own data. When you delete a message or chat from your device, it is erased from your local storage, but this action does not propagate to other participants in the conversation. This ensures that each user has autonomy over their communication history without interfering with others' records.
However, there are exceptions and additional features worth noting:
- Delete for Everyone: If you select the "Delete for Everyone" option within seven minutes of sending a message, WhatsApp will attempt to remove the message from both your device and the recipient's device. This feature is useful for correcting mistakes or retracting messages that should not have been sent.
- Chat Backup: Regularly backing up chats can create copies of conversations that are stored in cloud services, such as Google Drive or iCloud. These backups do not reflect real-time deletions and may contain messages that you have deleted from your device but still exist in the backup.
In summary, clearing a chat in WhatsApp removes it from your view only. For complete removal of messages from both sides, use the "Delete for Everyone" feature promptly after sending.