When you delete a video from WhatsApp, it is removed from your device and the WhatsApp servers. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind regarding deleted WhatsApp videos:
Deleted WhatsApp videos are removed from the server
When you delete a video from WhatsApp, it is immediately removed from WhatsApp’s servers. This means the video is no longer stored by WhatsApp. Other WhatsApp users in the chat will no longer be able to view or download the video once it has been deleted.
Deleted videos may still be on the recipient’s device
Even though the video is deleted from WhatsApp’s servers, if the video was already viewed by the recipient(s), it may still be available on their device. For example, if you sent a video to a friend and they viewed it, then you deleted it from the chat, that video file could still be available in your friend’s WhatsApp media storage or gallery on their phone. Deleting it from the chat does not delete it from their device.
Backups may still contain deleted videos
If either you or the recipient have backups enabled for WhatsApp, then deleted videos may still exist in those backups. For example:
- If you have Google Drive backup enabled, the video file could still be stored in your Google Drive backup of WhatsApp.
- If the recipient has backups enabled, the video could be restored from their backups.
So while WhatsApp does delete videos from its servers when you delete them in the app, recipients may still have access to the video through backups or if it was saved to their device storage.
How to fully delete videos from WhatsApp
If you want to ensure a video is permanently deleted from WhatsApp, here are some steps you can take:
- Delete the video from the WhatsApp chat where you sent it.
- If you have Google Drive backup enabled, delete the video from your Google Drive backup folder for WhatsApp.
- Request that any recipients you sent the video to also delete it from their devices and any backups.
- Stop using that WhatsApp account completely and switch to a new account.
Following these steps will help ensure the video cannot be restored through backups or other means. However, you ultimately cannot control whether recipients have saved the video file separately outside of WhatsApp.
What happens when you delete WhatsApp messages
Deleting messages and media on WhatsApp works similarly to deleting videos:
- Text messages are immediately deleted from WhatsApp’s servers when deleted in the app.
- However, recipients may have already seen and saved the messages outside of WhatsApp.
- Deleted messages may continue to exist in your and recipients’ chat backups.
So the same principles apply – while WhatsApp removes deleted messages from its servers, the messages could still be retained by recipients or in backups.
Can WhatsApp tell if you screenshot a deleted chat?
No, WhatsApp cannot tell if you take a screenshot of a chat after a message has been deleted. WhatsApp’s screenshot detection only works for unopened snaps and images sent with view once media enabled. For normal chats, WhatsApp has no screenshot detection capabilities.
Does WhatsApp keep deleted messages on their server?
No, WhatsApp does not keep or store any messages, videos, photos or files that have been deleted from chats on their servers. They claim to delete them immediately and permanently from their servers when you delete them in the app.
However, as mentioned above, deleted items may continue to exist in chat backups stored on Google Drive or iCloud until those backups are deleted.
Can deleted WhatsApp messages be retrieved?
In most cases, once a WhatsApp message is deleted, it cannot be retrieved. However, here are some scenarios where you may be able to retrieve deleted messages:
- If the message was deleted recently, you may be able to recover it from a Google Drive or iCloud backup.
- If the recipient took a screenshot or copied the message content before it was deleted.
- Using advanced data recovery software to scan your phone’s storage for deleted files.
- If the phone was rooted or had a WhatsApp backup viewer app installed.
But if too much time has passed or no backups exist, retrieving deleted WhatsApp messages is typically not possible through official means.
Can WhatsApp tell if you take a screenshot?
WhatsApp cannot directly detect when you take a normal screenshot on your device. However, here are some ways WhatsApp can detect screenshots:
- For images/videos sent with “view once” enabled, it notifies the sender if the recipient takes a screenshot.
- On WhatsApp web/desktop, it notifies the sender if you take a screenshot of an end-to-end encrypted chat.
- Any third-party app with accessibility permissions could potentially monitor screenshots.
But under normal conditions, WhatsApp cannot directly tell when you take a screenshot on your phone of a standard chat or media.
Conclusion
In summary:
- WhatsApp deletes videos immediately from its servers when you delete them in the app.
- However, recipients may still retain the videos if they were saved, or they could be in chat backups.
- To fully delete a video, you need to delete it from your cloud backups and recipient’s devices.
- Deleted texts work similarly – they are removed from WhatsApp’s servers but could remain in backups.
- You cannot detect if someone takes a screenshot of a deleted chat.
- While difficult, deleted WhatsApp messages can sometimes be recovered from backups.
So while WhatsApp itself deletes your videos and messages after you delete them in the app, recovering deleted data is still possible in some cases. To ensure permanant deletion, additional steps need to be taken to remove videos/messages from backups and recipient devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp keep deleted messages on their server?
No, WhatsApp does not store or retain any messages, videos, photos or files that have been deleted from chats on their servers. They claim to delete them immediately and permanently when you delete them in the app.
Can WhatsApp tell if you screenshot a chat?
WhatsApp cannot directly detect normal screenshots taken on your device. However, it can notify senders if you screenshot content set to view once or WhatsApp Web end-to-end encrypted chats.
Do deleted WhatsApp messages disappear from the recipient’s phone?
No, when you delete a message you sent, it disappears from your phone and WhatsApp’s servers, but remains visible in the recipient’s chat history on their device.
Can police recover deleted WhatsApp messages?
In some cases, law enforcement may be able to recover deleted WhatsApp messages through forensic analysis of phone data or backups. But generally, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption prevents third parties like police from accessing deleted messages.
Can you recover permanently deleted WhatsApp messages?
It’s very difficult to recover permanently deleted WhatsApp messages that are not in existing backups. Third-party data recovery software or root access might work in some cases, but there’s no guaranteed method.
WhatsApp Video File Storage
When you send or receive videos on WhatsApp, the video files are saved in different locations depending on your device and settings.
On Android
On Android devices, WhatsApp videos are stored in the following folders by default:
| Folder | Description |
|---|---|
| /Internal Storage/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Video | Videos you receive are saved here. |
| /Internal Storage/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Animated Gifs | Received animated GIFs are saved here. |
| /Internal Storage/DCIM/WhatsApp/ | Videos you capture through WhatsApp camera are saved here. |
You can access these folders directly to manage, delete and backup your WhatsApp videos.
On iPhone
On iPhones, WhatsApp videos are stored in the Photos app with the following locations:
| Album | Description |
|---|---|
| Contains all videos sent and received in WhatsApp chats. | |
| Videos | Has a WhatsApp subfolder containing videos captured via WhatsApp. |
| Selfies | Includes videos taken through WhatsApp selfie camera. |
You can delete videos directly in Photos app to remove them from WhatsApp media storage on iOS.
How WhatsApp Handles Deleted Media Files
When you delete a video or media file in WhatsApp, here is what happens behind the scenes:
- The file is immediately deleted from WhatsApp’s servers, so it won’t send or sync to recipients.
- On your device, the file is marked for deletion but may not be immediately removed from storage.
- Media storage cache is cleared periodically or on restart, permanently deleting marked files.
- If cloud backup is enabled, the file is also deleted from your next WhatsApp backup.
So while deleted files are instantly removed from WhatsApp’s infrastructure, your local device storage is cleaned up on a schedule. Backups also need to re-run to fully erase the media.
How to Delete Media on WhatsApp
Here are the steps to delete videos and media files on WhatsApp:
Delete from Chat
- Open the WhatsApp chat containing the media.
- Tap and hold the media to select it.
- Tap the trash icon to delete it.
Delete from Phone Storage
To directly remove files from device storage:
- On Android, use a file manager app to find and delete WhatsApp media folders.
- On iPhone, open the Photos app and delete WhatsApp videos/images.
Preventing Deleted Media from Being Restored
To ensure media files can’t be restored from backups or other sources after deletion, take these steps:
- Delete the media file from WhatsApp chats on your phone and your recipient’s phone if possible.
- Disable WhatsApp cloud backups or delete previous backups containing the media.
- Use a file manager to find and permanently delete the media from your phone’s storage.
- (Optional) Use data erasure apps that overwrite storage space used by the deleted files.
Following this thorough process reduces the chances of the files being recovered if needed.
Conclusion
In summary:
- WhatsApp immediately deletes videos from its servers when you remove them from chat.
- However, videos may still be retained on recipients’ devices and chat backups.
- To fully delete a video, delete it from the source device, recipients’ devices, and any cloud backups.
- Media files remain temporarily on device storage when deleted until cache is cleared.
- With effort, it’s sometimes possible to recover deleted WhatsApp media from backups.
So while WhatsApp itself removes videos upon deletion, the content could remain available through other means. Taking additional steps can help prevent deleted videos from being restored.