What happens to WhatsApp messages when deleted - briefly?
When a user deletes a message on WhatsApp, it is removed from the recipient's device and is no longer visible in the chat. However, the message still resides on WhatsApp servers for a short period before being permanently deleted.
What happens to WhatsApp messages when deleted - in detail?
When a user deletes a message on WhatsApp, several processes occur behind the scenes. The first step is that the message is flagged for deletion in the sender's chat log. This action does not immediately remove the message from the recipient's device; instead, it initiates a notification to the server indicating the user’s intention to delete the message.
The WhatsApp server then sends a request to all devices involved in the conversation to delete the specified message. Each device must acknowledge receipt of this deletion request before the process can proceed. If any device is offline or unavailable, the message remains stored on that particular device until it comes back online and acknowledges the deletion request.
Once all devices have confirmed receipt of the deletion notice, the message is permanently removed from WhatsApp's servers. It’s important to note that even after deletion, traces of the message may still exist in system logs or backups. However, these remnants are not easily accessible and do not appear in standard chat histories.
For group chats, the process is similar but more complex due to the involvement of multiple participants. When a user deletes a message in a group, all members receive a notification that the message has been deleted. Each member’s device must acknowledge this notification before the message can be removed from their local storage. As with individual chats, if any participant's device is offline or unavailable, the message will not be deleted on that specific device until it reconnects.
In summary, while WhatsApp messages are designed to disappear upon deletion, complete removal depends on all involved devices acknowledging the deletion request. This ensures data consistency across different users' devices but also means that some messages might remain indefinitely if a recipient’s device never reconnects.