What happens if you delete a message with one check mark and delete for everyone - briefly?
If you delete a message with one checkmark using the "Delete for Everyone" feature, the message will be removed from both your and the recipient's chat history. However, if the recipient has already seen or read the message before you deleted it, they may still have access to its content depending on their device settings and app updates.
What happens if you delete a message with one check mark and delete for everyone - in detail?
When you delete a message that has been delivered to the recipient (indicated by one check mark) using the "Delete for Everyone" feature, several processes occur behind the scenes to ensure that the message is removed from both your and the recipient's devices.
Firstly, it is important to note that once a message has been delivered, it means that the recipient's device has received the message and acknowledged its delivery status. However, this does not necessarily mean that the recipient has read or seen the message. The "Delete for Everyone" feature allows you to remove the message from both your chat history and the recipient's chat history before they have a chance to view it.
When you select the "Delete for Everyone" option, the messaging platform sends a command to the recipient's device instructing it to delete the specific message from their chat history. This command is sent over an encrypted channel to ensure the security and privacy of the communication. The recipient's device receives this command and proceeds to remove the message from its local storage, effectively deleting it from the recipient's view.
On your end, the messaging platform also removes the message from your chat history and any associated backups or servers that store messages temporarily. This ensures that even if you attempt to recover the message later, it will not be available because it has been permanently deleted from all systems associated with the messaging platform.
It is crucial to note that the "Delete for Everyone" feature works within a specific time frame, which varies depending on the messaging platform. For example, on WhatsApp, you have approximately 1 hour, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds from the time of sending to delete a message using this feature. Once this window has passed, the message can no longer be deleted for everyone, and it will remain in the recipient's chat history even if you delete it from your end.
In summary, when you delete a message with one check mark using the "Delete for Everyone" feature, the messaging platform sends a command to the recipient's device to remove the message from their chat history. This ensures that both you and the recipient no longer have access to the deleted message, maintaining the privacy and security of your communication within the specified time frame.