Quick Answer
Yes, it is possible to delete a message for yourself on WhatsApp so that it is removed from your own chat window, but the message will still be visible to the recipient. There is no option to retrospectively delete a message for everyone on WhatsApp once it has been sent.
Deleting Messages for Yourself
To delete a message for yourself on WhatsApp:
- Open the WhatsApp chat containing the message you want to remove.
- On Android devices: Long press on the message, then select ‘Delete’. On iPhone: Swipe left on the message, then tap ‘Delete’.
- The message will be deleted from your view of the chat, but will still be visible to the recipient.
There are a couple of important caveats with deleting WhatsApp messages for yourself:
- The message will still show up in notifications on the recipient’s device.
- If you delete a message from a group chat, other members of the group will still be able to see it.
- If you delete a message that contains media (photos, videos, GIFs, documents), the media will still be visible in the chat.
So deleting a message for yourself removes it from your view of the chat, but does not fully erase the message or media content you sent.
Why You Can’t Delete Messages for Everyone
Many other messaging apps like Telegram and Signal allow you to delete sent messages not just for yourself, but for all recipients in the chat. So why doesn’t WhatsApp have this ability?
There are a few reasons why deleting messages for everyone is not an option on WhatsApp:
- User experience – WhatsApp wants to maintain end-to-end encryption while also providing a seamless messaging experience. Allowing retrospective deletes could lead to confusion if messages start disappearing.
- Potential for abuse – Without safeguards in place, the ability to remotely delete messages could be misused to erase evidence or part of conversations.
- Technical limitations – Implementing deletes for everyone in WhatsApp’s architecture while maintaining end-to-end encryption is challenging.
Overall, to balance messaging privacy with transparency, WhatsApp has opted not to enable a ‘delete for everyone’ feature.
When Messages are Deleted on WhatsApp
There are some limited cases where messages are automatically deleted for all chat participants on WhatsApp:
- Group admins can choose to delete messages for everyone in groups.
- When using the ‘Disappearing Messages’ feature, messages will be erased after 7 days.
- If you delete your account, your messages will be removed.
But in general chats between two users, there is no way to delete messages retrospectively after they have been sent.
How to be More Careful with WhatsApp Messages
Since there is no undo button for deleting WhatsApp messages sent to another person, it’s important to be cautious and avoid regretting any messages you send:
- Be mindful of who you are messaging and what content you are sharing.
- Double check media before sending to make sure you want the recipient to see it.
- Use the preview screen before sending to review your messages.
- Enable fingerprint lock on WhatsApp to avoid pocket sends.
- Turn on disappearing messages if you want regular conversations to be erased.
Following these tips will reduce the likelihood of any embarrassing, inappropriate or unintended messages being sent on WhatsApp.
Third Party Apps to Delete WhatsApp Messages
While WhatsApp itself does not allow deleting sent messages for all, there are some third party apps that claim to offer this ability:
- WAMR – Delete for Everyone
- Recalled
- Undo Text for WhatsApp
However, be aware that these apps have limitations:
- They cannot directly integrate with WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption.
- They require the recipient to also have the deletion app installed.
- They typically delete by sending a follow up message, which can be confusing.
- WhatsApp does not endorse or recommend such apps.
Before using a third party deletion app, be sure to research reviews and understand their privacy policies. Official solutions from WhatsApp itself may be preferable.
What Does WhatsApp Say
According to WhatsApp’s FAQ page on deleting messages:
Deleted messages are removed from your phone and can’t be recovered. But your contacts may still see quoted text you sent them in their chat screen after a message has been deleted.
There is currently no feature that allows you to delete messages for everyone in personal chats. Messages you successfully delete for everyone will be replaced with “This message was deleted” in your recipients’ chats.
So WhatsApp officially advises that there is no built-in way to erase messages for everyone after they have been sent in personal chats. While apps exist claiming to offer this ability, they have limitations.
The Bottom Line
While WhatsApp provides the option to delete sent messages from your own view of a chat, there is no first party solution for retrospectively deleting messages for everyone once they have been sent.
This is due to a mix of technical complexity, preventing abuse, and maintaining WhatsApp’s end-to-end encrypted messaging experience.
Instead of relying on deletions, the best approach is to be cautious about double checking messages before hitting send in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the recipient see if I delete a message on WhatsApp?
No, if you delete a message on WhatsApp the recipient will not get any notification or indication that the message was removed from your chat window.
However, the recipient can still see the deleted message in their chat history.
Will media still be visible if I delete a WhatsApp message?
Yes, if you delete a WhatsApp message containing a photo, video or other media, the recipient can still view and open that media content, even though your message text is deleted.
Can I get back a deleted WhatsApp message?
Unfortunately no, there is no way to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages either for yourself or for other chat participants. Once a message is deleted, it is permanently erased from WhatsApp’s servers.
Do deleted WhatsApp messages count towards my storage limit?
No, when you delete WhatsApp messages, they will no longer take up any storage space against your limit. This applies to messages deleted just for yourself, as well as media content deleted when you erase messages.
If I delete my WhatsApp account, will all my messages be deleted?
Yes, deleting your WhatsApp account will erase all messages you have sent and received within the app. It will be as if the conversations never existed, so the messages will be deleted for everyone.
Conclusion
While many messaging apps provide options for users to delete sent messages for all chat participants, WhatsApp has deliberately chosen not to include this ability for most conversations.
The only way to remove messages on WhatsApp is to delete them for yourself only – which simply hides them from your view of the chat.
For now, those using WhatsApp will need to be aware there is no ‘undo’ option if you send a message and later regret it. Taking precautions beforehand is advisable.