What happens when deleting messages in WhatsApp if they have been delivered - briefly?
When a message is deleted in WhatsApp after it has been delivered, the recipient will no longer see the message content. However, they may still be able to view the notification indicating that a message was deleted.
What happens when deleting messages in WhatsApp if they have been delivered - in detail?
When a message is deleted in WhatsApp after it has been delivered, several processes occur to ensure the message disappears from both the sender's and recipient's devices. Here's a detailed breakdown of what happens:
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Message Deletion Request: The user who sends the message decides to delete it. This action triggers a request to WhatsApp servers indicating that the message should be removed from all connected devices.
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Server Notification: Once the deletion request is received, WhatsApp servers notify all devices involved in the conversation that the message needs to be deleted. This includes both the sender's and recipient’s devices.
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Local Deletion: On the recipient's device, WhatsApp immediately removes the content of the message from the chat window. The exact time of deletion is also recorded. However, the metadata associated with the message (such as the fact that a message was sent and deleted) remains in the database for internal tracking purposes.
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Sender’s Device: On the sender's device, the message content is replaced with a "You deleted this message" placeholder. This serves as an indication to both parties that the message has been removed from the conversation.
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Quote Messages Handling: If the deleted message was quoted in another message, the quote will also be removed. However, the rest of the quoted message remains intact.
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Forwarded Messages: If the deleted message was forwarded to other chats or groups, those copies of the message are not automatically deleted. The forwarded messages remain in their respective conversations unless manually deleted by the recipient.
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Backups and Media: Deleting a message does not remove it from any backups created before the deletion. If the message was backed up to Google Drive or iCloud, it will still exist there. Similarly, media files (images, videos) attached to the deleted message are not removed from the recipient's device but remain inaccessible through WhatsApp.
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Group Chats: In group chats, when a message is deleted by the sender, all participants see "This message was deleted" in place of the original content. As with individual chats, the metadata remains to ensure proper functioning and tracking within the app.
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Recipient Notification: The recipient is notified that the message has been deleted, but they are not informed about the content of the message or who deleted it. This helps maintain privacy and prevents potential misunderstandings.
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Unread Messages: If a message is deleted before being read by the recipient, WhatsApp still processes the deletion request as described above. The unread notification for that particular message disappears from the recipient's device.
In summary, while the content of the deleted message is removed from both sender and recipient devices, some metadata and backups may retain traces of its existence. This ensures that the conversation history is accurately maintained without compromising user privacy.