WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, with over 2 billion users. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the ability to send messages, photos, videos and files to other users. However, a common question many users have is whether a sent message can be deleted or recalled after it has already been read by the recipient.
The short answer is yes, it is possible to delete WhatsApp messages after they have been read, but with some important caveats. In this detailed article, we will examine how message deletion works on WhatsApp, the requirements and time limits, as well as the cases where a message cannot be removed after being read.
How Does Deleting Messages on WhatsApp Work?
On WhatsApp, when you delete a message that you have sent, it will be removed from your chat window. However, it does not immediately disappear from the recipient’s chat window. Instead, it is replaced with the note “This message was deleted”.
So while you have deleted it from your view, the recipient can still read the contents of the message if they had already viewed it before you deleted it. However, once the recipient exits and reopens the chat, the deleted message will be gone from their view as well and only the deletion notice will show.
This is because WhatsApp deletes the message from their servers, so that the message is no longer available to download again. But since the recipient’s app already downloaded the message earlier, it remains visible to them until the chat is refreshed.
Requirements for Deleting Read Messages
There are a couple of requirements for being able to delete a WhatsApp message that has already been read:
Time Limit
WhatsApp only allows you to delete messages up to one hour, eight minutes and 16 seconds after sending them. This means any message older than this time period cannot be removed from either user’s chat windows.
The time limit starts from the moment you hit send on the message. So if you send a message and the recipient reads it immediately, you only have 1 hour and 8 minutes from that time to delete it.
Platform Compatibility
The feature for deleting read messages is currently only available when using WhatsApp on Android and iOS smartphones.
If you are using WhatsApp Web or the desktop app linked to your mobile account, you cannot delete messages that have already been read by the recipient. The delete option will be greyed out.
Internet Connectivity
To be able to delete a message, you need to have an active internet connection on your phone at the time of deleting. The message will not be deleted if you are offline when attempting to erase it.
When Read Messages Cannot be Deleted
While WhatsApp provides the ability to delete read messages within a short timeframe, there are some cases where a read message cannot be removed at all:
Recipient Disabled Read Receipts
If the recipient has disabled read receipts in their WhatsApp settings, you will not get a read confirmation for your messages. In this case, even if the recipient has actually read your message, WhatsApp has no way of knowing this. Therefore the delete option will not show up, since technically for WhatsApp the message has not been read yet.
Recipient Backed Up Chat History
If the recipient has chat backup enabled, either to Google Drive or iCloud, their historic chat is already saved to the cloud. Any messages you delete will still exist in their backup and can be restored if the chat history is reloaded from backup.
Group Messages
In a WhatsApp group chat, you can only delete a message for everyone within 1 hour 8 minutes if no one else in the group has viewed it. Once someone reads a group message, you can only delete it for yourself and it will remain visible to other participants.
Message Quoted or Forwarded
If the recipient quotes your message or forwards it to someone else before you can delete it, that message now exists outside of your chat and cannot be removed. Even if you delete the original, the quoted or forwarded version will still be there.
Third-party Apps
If the recipient is using a third party app to backup or export chat history from WhatsApp, the message will continue to exist in that app’s records even if deleted from WhatsApp servers. Popular examples of such apps include ChatWatch and WAMR.
How to Delete Read WhatsApp Messages
If your message meets the time limit and platform requirements, deleting it after being read is straightforward:
On Android
1. Open the WhatsApp chat containing the message you want to remove.
2. Tap and hold on the message bubble to select it.
3. Tap the trash can icon to delete the message.
4. Confirm deleting the message in the pop-up prompt.
On iPhone
1. Open the WhatsApp chat with the message to delete.
2. Swipe left on the message bubble you want to delete.
3. Tap the ‘Delete’ option to confirm removal of the message.
Does “This message was deleted” notify the recipient?
When you delete a message on WhatsApp after it has been read, it is replaced with the notice “This message was deleted” in the recipient’s chat window. But WhatsApp does not directly notify them that a message has been removed.
Some key points about the deletion notice:
– The recipient will only see it if they had already opened the chat before you deleted the message. If the chat window was closed, they will simply not see the message when opening it again.
– There is no distinguishing indication for the recipient that the “This message was deleted” notice represents a deleted message. It looks like any other chat message.
– The notice does not reveal who deleted the message. The recipient would have to deduce it was you based on context.
– Unlike normal chat notifications, the recipient does not receive a sound/vibration alert or app badge counter increase for the deletion notice. It silently appears in the chat when reopened.
So in summary, while the notice passively informs the recipient of a deleted message, it does not proactively alert them or identify the deleter. They’d only discover it if routinely rechecking the chat.
Can Recipients Recover Deleted Messages?
Since WhatsApp erases deleted messages from its servers, there is no way for recipients to recover or restore the deleted message through the app itself. The content of the message is gone for good after deletion.
However, here are some scenarios where recipients may still be able to recover deleted messages outside of WhatsApp:
If Message Was Quoted or Forwarded First
As explained earlier, if a message is quoted or forwarded by the recipient before deletion, that copy of the message body will still exist and be visible.
If Chat Backups Exist
If the recipient has Google Drive or iCloud Chat Backups enabled, their historic chat is regularly saved to the cloud. They can restore earlier versions of the chat containing the deleted message from backup.
If Using a Third Party App
Some third party apps like WhatsRemoved+ or WAMR create independent backups of WhatsApp chat data. They may allow recipients to dig up deleted messages from their own records.
If Phone Notifications are Enabled
For iOS devices, if the recipient has enabled WhatsApp notifications previews on the phone lock screen, the message content may have been displayed there even if they didn’t open the chat. That would have preserved the message temporarily.
Android Notification History
On Android, the notification history may also incidentally retain the content of deleted messages for a brief period, allowing recovery.
So in summary, while WhatsApp itself does not allow accessing deleted messages again, backups and third party tools may enable recipients to recover them in some situations. But the window is limited before that data also gets overwritten.
Ethical Concerns with Deleting Read Messages
While WhatsApp provides the functionality to delete read messages, there are some ethical issues to consider:
Two-way Consent
Ideally, message deletion should only be done with the consent of both the sender and recipient, as it removes information that had already been mutually communicated and acknowledged. Unilateral message removal without informing the other party raises transparency concerns.
Potential for Misuse
The ability to delete messages after they have been read or sent can be misused by senders to:
- Remove evidence of inappropriate, abusive or illegal messages sent initially.
- Gaslight recipients by erasing messages from the conversation history.
- Delete unfavorable messages in work or business communication after sending them.
Data Privacy
Does the sender have a right to revoke messages unilaterally, or does the recipient have a reasonable expectation of being able to access the messages again in a conversation history that has been downloaded to their own device? It brings up debates around data ownership.
Record Manipulation
The ability to delete messages can make conversation histories on WhatsApp incomplete or misleading. Important context may be erased if parts of the record are removed.
Best Practices for Deleting Messages
Given the potential for misuse or ethical issues, here are some best practices recommended for deleting read WhatsApp messages:
Inform the Recipient
Always notify the other party when you intend to delete a message from their chat, and confirm they are okay with its removal. Unexpectedly finding messages missing can cause confusion.
Stick to Time Limits
Only messages within the 1 hour 8 minute restore window should be considered for deletion. Attempting removal beyond this timescale is ineffective and unnecessary.
Avoid Deleting Whole Conversations
Do not delete entire chat histories you regret sending. Selectively removing only certain sensitive messages is better than wiping out full conversations which the recipient may want records of.
Don’t Use It as Editing Tool
Message deletion is meant for removing unintentional messages, not editing sent messages. Rather than deleting and resending, be cognizant of errors before hitting send.
Preserve Important Information
Avoid deleting messages containing crucial details that may be needed for future reference, even if you regret sending them initially.
Conclusion
WhatsApp provides users the ability to delete sent messages on its platform for a brief period of 1 hour and 8 minutes after they have been read. This can be useful for removing typos or unintentional sends. However, there are limitations around platform compatibility, internet connectivity as well as ethical concerns to bear in mind when deleting messages. Users should be judicious about when and what messages they remove, and communicate clearly with recipients when doing so.