WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Many WhatsApp users wonder if the app keeps their old messages forever or deletes them after a certain period of time.
Does WhatsApp keep your chat history?
The short answer is yes, WhatsApp stores your chat history on its servers by default. This allows you to access old conversations whenever you need. Your chat history is saved both on your phone (local database) and WhatsApp’s servers (remote database).
So even if you delete the chat history from your phone, the messages still exist on WhatsApp’s server. The only exception is if you manually delete the WhatsApp chat history from their servers as well. We’ll get into how to do that later.
For how long does WhatsApp store your messages?
WhatsApp does not delete your chat history on its servers automatically. Your messages are stored indefinitely unless you manually delete them.
So your chat history essentially has no expiration date. Old messages from years ago will still be present on WhatsApp’s servers if you haven’t deleted them.
This is in contrast to other messaging apps like Snapchat which automatically delete unviewed messages after 30 days. WhatsApp has no such auto-delete functionality for chat history.
Where does WhatsApp store your chat history?
WhatsApp stores your messages in two places:
- Locally on your device
- Remotely on WhatsApp’s servers
Local Storage
When you use WhatsApp on your phone, the app saves a copy of your messages in its local database. This database is stored in the phone’s internal storage or SD card.
Even if you are offline, you can read old conversations that are saved locally on your device. The size of this database depends on how many chats and media files you have.
Remote Storage
Apart from local storage, your WhatsApp chat history is also backed up online to WhatsApp’s servers. This acts as a cloud backup in case you lose your phone or switch devices.
Your encrypted chat history is regularly uploaded to WhatsApp servers whenever the app detects an active internet connection.
How long does WhatsApp keep deleted messages?
When you delete a WhatsApp message, it stays in your chat history for up to 2 months before being permanently deleted from their servers. Here are the exact timelines:
| Action | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Delete message for yourself | Stays deleted on your phone but remains on WhatsApp servers for 60 days |
| Delete message for everyone | Gets deleted from all participants’ chats but stays on WhatsApp servers for 60 days |
| Permanently delete message from WhatsApp server | Deleted immediately and cannot be recovered |
So even after you delete a message, its remnants stay on WhatsApp’s servers for up to 60 days before being permanently deleted.
How to delete WhatsApp messages from their server
If you want to completely wipe your WhatsApp chat history from their servers, here are the steps to delete WhatsApp messages from the cloud:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the individual or group chat you want to delete.
- Tap on the group/contact name at the top to open chat info.
- Scroll down and tap on “Delete chat”.
- Confirm deletion when prompted.
This will immediately and permanently delete the entire chat history from WhatsApp’s servers. The process works the same way for both individual and group chats.
However, please note this will only delete the messages from WhatsApp’s server. The chat history will still be retained locally on the phones of all the participants.
How to delete WhatsApp messages from your phone
If you just want to clear old WhatsApp messages from your device’s local storage, here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the individual or group chat.
- Tap and hold on the chat you want to delete.
- Tap “Delete chat” on the pop-up menu and confirm when prompted.
This will delete the entire chat history from your phone’s local database. As mentioned earlier, the messages will continue to be stored on WhatsApp’s cloud servers.
Does WhatsApp keep deleted messages in its backup?
WhatsApp regularly backs up your chat history to your phone’s internal storage or Google Drive. If you delete a chat, it will be removed from upcoming backups after 60 days.
So if you backup your WhatsApp chats:
- Messages deleted up to 60 days ago will still be present in the backup.
- Messages deleted over 60 days ago will not be there in the backup.
How long does WhatsApp retain your data after account deletion?
If you completely delete your WhatsApp account, your messages and chat history are erased from their servers within 90 days.
Here’s an overview of what WhatsApp data is retained after account deletion:
| WhatsApp Data | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Chat history and messages | Deleted after 90 days |
| Your account info | Deleted immediately |
| Your phone number | Deleted after 45 days |
So while your chat history takes 90 days to be completely wiped, your core account details are removed within 45 days of requesting account deletion.
Does WhatsApp notify others when you delete messages?
No, WhatsApp does not send any notification when you delete a message for yourself or everyone. The application removes the messages silently without indicating they were deleted.
So you can securely delete any WhatsApp message without notifying anyone – as long as the recipients have not already seen it.
Can you recover deleted WhatsApp messages?
It is possible to recover deleted WhatsApp messages in the following cases:
- From local iPhone backup – Using iTunes or iCloud backup
- From local Android backup – Using WhatsApp’s Google Drive backup
- From chat notification history – On Android phones only
However, keep in mind this only works for recently deleted messages. If a chat was deleted more than 60 days ago, the messages are permanently gone from WhatsApp’s servers.
Conclusion
To summarize, WhatsApp stores your entire chat history indefinitely on its servers until you manually delete conversations. Deleted messages remain recoverable in the backup for up to 60 days.
Your chats are saved both locally on your phone and on WhatsApp’s cloud database. Clearing messages on your device does not remove them from WhatsApp servers.
To permanently delete WhatsApp messages from their servers, you have to use the “Delete Chat” option in the app. This will wipe the conversation completely from existence.
So while WhatsApp doesn’t automatically delete old messages like other apps, you do have the option to manually remove chats both from their servers and your phone’s storage.