Where are deleted messages in WhatsApp - briefly?
Deleted messages in WhatsApp are not stored on the server and cannot be retrieved by users or WhatsApp. Once a message is deleted, it is permanently removed from both the sender's and recipient's devices.
Where are deleted messages in WhatsApp - in detail?
When a user deletes a message on WhatsApp, the process and location of those messages can vary depending on several factors: whether the message was sent by the user or received from someone else, the type of deletion (unsend for everyone or delete for me), and the time frame within which the deletion occurs.
For messages that are deleted using the "Delete for Me" option, WhatsApp removes the message from the user's view, but it is not actually erased from the device. Instead, the metadata of the message is altered to indicate that it has been deleted. The message itself remains on the user's device until it is overwritten by new data or manually cleared out. However, these messages are no longer accessible through the standard WhatsApp interface and cannot be retrieved without specialized tools or forensic analysis.
When a user employs the "Delete for Everyone" feature, WhatsApp attempts to remove the message from both the sender's and all recipients' devices within a specific time frame (typically 13 hours, 8 minutes, and 30 seconds from the original sending time). If successful, the message is entirely deleted from WhatsApp servers and cannot be retrieved by anyone. However, if the deletion process fails—for example, due to connectivity issues or the recipient's device being offline—the message will remain on the recipient’s device until they manually delete it using the "Delete for Me" option.
In cases where a message is not successfully deleted and remains on the recipient's device, it can still be accessed through backup files if the recipient has enabled backups. WhatsApp allows users to back up their chats to cloud storage services like Google Drive or iCloud. These backups include all messages, even those that were supposed to be deleted using the "Delete for Everyone" option but were not successfully removed. Therefore, it is possible for deleted messages to persist in backup files until they are manually deleted or the backup itself is erased.
In summary, deleted WhatsApp messages can exist in several locations depending on the type of deletion and the success of the deletion process:
- On the sender's device as hidden metadata if "Delete for Me" is used.
- On recipients' devices if "Delete for Everyone" fails or if "Delete for Me" is not manually performed by the recipient.
- In cloud backup files until they are manually deleted from the backup.
Understanding these nuances helps users manage their communication more effectively and be aware of the persistence of supposedly deleted messages.