What happens if you delete a sent WhatsApp message - briefly?
Deleting a sent WhatsApp message will remove it from your device and the recipient's device, but it does not prevent the message from being seen if already read. The deletion only affects the visibility of the message in the chat history, not its delivery or initial reception.
What happens if you delete a sent WhatsApp message - in detail?
When you delete a sent WhatsApp message, several events occur depending on the type of message and the settings of both parties involved in the conversation.
Firstly, it is essential to understand that WhatsApp offers two options for deleting messages: "Delete for Me" and "Delete for Everyone." The latter allows users to remove a message from both their device and the recipient's device within seven minutes after sending it. If you choose "Delete for Everyone," the message will be replaced with a notification stating, "This message was deleted." This feature is available for text messages, images, videos, GIFs, documents, stickers, and voice messages.
However, if more than seven minutes have passed since the message was sent, you can only delete it from your device using the "Delete for Me" option. The recipient will still see the message in their chat history. It is crucial to note that even after deleting a message with the "Delete for Everyone" option, there is no guarantee that the message has been completely erased from all devices or systems. Recipients may have already seen or taken a screenshot of the message before it was deleted.
Moreover, WhatsApp does not provide a way to delete messages from group chats using the "Delete for Everyone" option. In this case, you can only remove the message from your device by selecting the "Delete for Me" option. Other participants in the group chat will still be able to see the message unless they manually delete it from their devices as well.
It is also important to consider that even after a message has been deleted using the "Delete for Everyone" option, WhatsApp keeps a record of the message on its servers for a certain period. This information can potentially be accessed by law enforcement agencies or other authorities if required by law. Therefore, it is crucial to be cautious about the content of your messages and understand that complete deletion may not always be possible.
In conclusion, deleting a sent WhatsApp message using the "Delete for Everyone" option allows you to remove the message from both your device and the recipient's device within seven minutes after sending it. However, there is no guarantee of complete erasure, and recipients may have already seen or taken a screenshot of the message. Additionally, messages in group chats cannot be deleted using this option, and WhatsApp keeps records of deleted messages on its servers for a certain period.