You deleted this message. How do you delete it in WhatsApp - briefly?
If you wish to delete a message on WhatsApp, simply long-press the message and select the "Delete" option from the menu that appears. This action removes the message for all participants in the chat.
You deleted this message. How do you delete it in WhatsApp - in detail?
If you've ever found yourself needing to delete a specific message from your WhatsApp conversation, whether for privacy reasons or simply to clean up the chat, you might be wondering how to go about it. WhatsApp provides several options for deleting messages, depending on what exactly you want to remove and who should see the deletion. Here’s a detailed guide on how to delete messages in WhatsApp:
Deleting Messages for Everyone (Recipients)
WhatsApp offers the option to delete messages not only from your device but also from the recipient's device, ensuring that the message is no longer visible to anyone. This feature is particularly useful if you’ve sent something by mistake and want to ensure it doesn’t cause any misunderstandings or embarrassment.
- Open WhatsApp on your phone and go to the chat where the message you wish to delete is located.
- Select the Message: Long-press on the message you want to delete until a menu appears with several options (Delete, Reply, etc.).
- Delete for Everyone: Tap on "Delete" and then select "Delete for everyone." Note that this option will only be available if the message was sent within 7 minutes of deletion. After 7 minutes, you can only delete the message from your device.
- Confirmation: You'll see a notification saying "You deleted this message," indicating that the message has been successfully removed for all parties involved in the chat.
Deleting Messages Only on Your Device
If more than 7 minutes have passed since you sent the message, or if you simply want to remove it from your device only, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and navigate to the chat containing the message you wish to delete.
- Select the Message: Long-press on the message until a menu appears.
- Delete for Me: Tap "Delete" and then select "Delete for me." This action will remove the message from your phone but it will still be visible to the recipients in their chat window.
Deleting Entire Conversations
If you want to delete an entire conversation, including all messages, photos, videos, and other media, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the "Chats" tab.
- Select the Chat: Long-press on the chat you wish to delete until a menu appears.
- Delete Chat: Tap on "More options" (three vertical dots) at the top right corner of your screen, and then select "Delete chat."
- Confirmation: Confirm that you want to delete the chat by tapping "Delete" again. This will remove all messages and media from both your device and the recipient's device.
Important Considerations
- Time Limit: Remember, deleting a message for everyone is only possible within 7 minutes of sending it. After that time frame, you can only delete the message from your own device.
- Backup: Deleting messages or conversations will not affect your WhatsApp backups unless you manually delete the backup as well.
- Privacy: While deleting a message for everyone helps maintain privacy, recipients may still see that a message was deleted if their phone shows notifications or uses certain apps to read messages.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage and remove unwanted messages from your WhatsApp conversations, ensuring your chats remain clean and private.