What happens if I delete a message in WhatsApp before reading it - briefly?
If you delete an unread message in WhatsApp, the message will still be stored on your device but will not appear in your chat list. To access it, you would need to use a data recovery tool or contact WhatsApp support for assistance.
What happens if I delete a message in WhatsApp before reading it - in detail?
When you delete a message in WhatsApp before reading it, several actions and consequences occur:
Firstly, the message is immediately removed from your device's local storage. This means that you will no longer see the message in your chat history or notifications. The message does not disappear entirely; instead, it is marked as deleted on your end of the conversation.
Secondly, WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for all messages, ensuring that only the sender and receiver can access the content of the messages. When you delete a message before reading it, this encryption remains intact. The message's content cannot be accessed by anyone other than the intended recipient once it is delivered.
Thirdly, if the recipient has not yet read the message, they will still receive it as usual. There is no indication to them that you have deleted the message on your end. They can read and respond to the message normally unless they have also deleted it or if it expires due to other reasons such as the "Disappearing Messages" feature being enabled.
Fourthly, WhatsApp provides a feature called "Delete for Everyone," which allows you to delete messages for all participants in a chat within 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 30 seconds of sending. However, this feature is not automatically triggered when you delete a message on your end before reading it. To use "Delete for Everyone," you need to select the message and choose this option explicitly from the menu.
Lastly, deleting a message before reading it does not affect the storage or data usage on WhatsApp's servers. The deleted message is simply flagged as no longer needed by your device, but it may still reside in temporary caches or backups until they are cleared according to standard procedures.
In summary, deleting a message in WhatsApp before reading it removes the message from your local storage and ensures that you will not see it again on your device. The message's content remains encrypted and can still be accessed by the intended recipient if they have not deleted or read it. The "Delete for Everyone" feature must be used explicitly to delete messages for all participants in a chat.