Where are deleted messages located in WhatsApp on iPhone - briefly?
When a message is deleted from WhatsApp on an iPhone, it is not permanently removed but rather hidden from the user's view. The deleted messages are stored in the iPhone's internal storage and can be recovered if needed.
Where are deleted messages located in WhatsApp on iPhone - in detail?
When a message is deleted from WhatsApp on an iPhone, it does not simply vanish into thin air; rather, the data associated with that message is retained within the device's storage system. Here’s a detailed look at where deleted messages are located:
Firstly, it's important to understand how WhatsApp handles message deletion. When you delete a message or conversation, WhatsApp marks the space occupied by that data as available for reuse rather than immediately erasing it. This means the actual content of the message remains on your device until it is overwritten by new data.
On an iPhone, deleted messages are primarily stored in the device's local storage. Specifically, they reside within the SQLite database used by WhatsApp to manage its data. This database is located at a path similar to /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/[WhatsApp-UUID]/Library/CoreData/CloudKit/private.db. Within this database, messages are stored as records even after they have been deleted by the user.
Moreover, WhatsApp also creates backup files of your chat history, including deleted messages. These backups can be found in iCloud or local storage, depending on your backup settings. The iCloud backup is encrypted and stored securely on Apple's servers, while local backups are typically found in the /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/[WhatsApp-UUID]/Documents directory.
It’s worth noting that while deleted messages remain on your device, they become inaccessible through normal means. However, sophisticated data recovery tools can potentially retrieve these messages by scanning the device's storage and extracting the relevant data from the SQLite database or backup files.
In summary, deleted WhatsApp messages on an iPhone are located within the app’s local SQLite database and can also be found in iCloud or local backups. The precise location varies depending on whether you are looking for active storage or backup archives.