WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. However, you may eventually want to delete your WhatsApp account and all of your conversations. Here are some tips on how to quickly and easily delete your WhatsApp account.
Why Would You Want to Delete WhatsApp?
There are a few common reasons why you may want to delete your WhatsApp account:
- You want to take a break from the app and social media
- You need to free up storage space on your phone
- You’re getting a new phone number and don’t want your old chats
- You no longer want the app due to privacy concerns
Deleting your account means all of your messages, groups, and contacts made through WhatsApp will be permanently erased. So make sure you backup or export anything important before deleting.
How to Quickly Delete WhatsApp on iPhone
If you have an iPhone and want to delete your WhatsApp account, here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Account > Delete My Account
- Select the “Delete My Account” button at the bottom
- Enter your phone number in full international format when prompted
- Tap “Delete My Account” to confirm
It can take up to 90 days for your account to be fully deleted from WhatsApp’s servers. But it will immediately be inaccessible from your phone. All your chats and groups will be removed.
Backing Up Your Data First
Before deleting for good, you may want to backup your WhatsApp data:
- Media – Use the Export Chat feature to save photos, videos, and other files you’ve shared.
- Chats – Email or export chat history to store conversations.
- Contacts – Your contacts will remain in your phone’s address book.
Deleting WhatsApp from an Android Device
If you use WhatsApp on an Android phone, here is how to delete your account:
- Open WhatsApp Settings > Account > Delete My Account
- Tap on the “Delete My Account” button
- Confirm your phone number when prompted
- Tap “Delete My Account” again to confirm
The same backup recommendations apply if you want to save your chats, media, or contacts before deleting your account.
Other Things to Know
- It can take up to 90 days for your account data to be wiped from WhatsApp servers after deletion.
- Make sure to turn off iCloud backups or Google Drive backups to fully delete your chats.
- Even after deleting your account, your phone number may still show up in the groups you were part of.
- If you don’t want to delete your account, you can simply uninstall the app to take a break from WhatsApp.
How to Delete WhatsApp Business Account
WhatsApp also offers a separate app called WhatsApp Business to connect with customers. Here is how to delete your WhatsApp Business account:
- Open WhatsApp Business and go to Settings
- Tap Account > Delete Account
- Enter your phone number and tap “Delete account”
- Confirm deletion again when prompted
This will wipe all of your WhatsApp Business messages, contacts, and info from your device. The same 90 day deletion policy applies on WhatsApp’s servers.
How Long Does It Take to Delete WhatsApp?
After you initiate deletion of your WhatsApp account, there are two timeframes to keep in mind:
- Immediate disable from your device – As soon as you confirm deletion, your WhatsApp account will no longer work on your phone. All data is removed locally.
- Up to 90 days for server deletion – WhatsApp states it can take up to 90 days for your info to be fully wiped from their servers. Your data will remain inaccessible during this time.
So while WhatsApp is instantly deleted from your device, give it about 3 months for your account to be permanently removed from WhatsApp’s systems.
Can You Recover a Deleted WhatsApp Account?
No, there is no way to recover a deleted WhatsApp account. Once you confirm deleting your account, it cannot be retrieved.
WhatsApp does not store or backup your account information. The only way to restore your chats or groups is if you manually backed up your data before deleting your account.
Some things to know about trying to restore your deleted WhatsApp account:
- Your chat history cannot be retrieved by WhatsApp.
- Your groups are permanently deleted unless you saved them previously.
- Your contacts are erased from WhatsApp, but remain in your phone’s contacts.
- If you reinstall WhatsApp, you’ll have to sign up with a new account and number.
So back up anything important before starting the account deletion process, as there is no going back after that!
Does Deleting WhatsApp Delete Messages?
Yes, deleting your WhatsApp account deletes all of your WhatsApp messages and chat history by default. Your entire message history is wiped from the app locally on your device.
Even though it can take up to 90 days for WhatsApp to delete your data from its servers, your messages are inaccessible during that time. So you effectively lose access to all WhatsApp chats when your account is deleted.
The only way to keep your messages is to manually back them up before deleting your account. You can export chats or use a third-party app to save your chat history.
Other Data Deleted
In addition to messages, deleting your WhatsApp account erases:
- Group conversations
- Media files sent/received
- Call history
- Contact list specifically saved to WhatsApp
Your regular phone contacts are not deleted. But any contacts saved only to WhatsApp will be removed.
Can Someone Else See My Deleted WhatsApp Messages?
No, when you delete your WhatsApp account, your messages are completely erased and inaccessible to anyone else. There are a few key points about this:
- Your chat history only remains on your device and WhatsApp’s servers. It is not saved or accessible from anywhere else.
- Other WhatsApp users in your chats will no longer be able to see your messages once your account is deleted.
- Any messages you deleted individually before deleting your account are also erased.
- Media you sent via WhatsApp is deleted along with your messages.
So you can rest assured that your WhatsApp messages are completely removed when your account is deleted, and no one else will have access.
One Exception
The only exception is if you manually backed up your WhatsApp data to an external source like your phone’s local storage or Google Drive. Then those chat backups would remain available unless deleted separately.
Should I Delete or Deactivate WhatsApp?
If you need to take a break from WhatsApp, you have two main options:
- Delete your account – This permanently erases your account and chat history.
- Deactivate your account – This temporarily disables your account so it can be reactivated later.
Here is an overview of how each option works:
| Delete Account | Deactivate Account |
|---|---|
| Permanently erases your account and all data | Temporarily disables your account |
| Cannot reactivate account or recover any data | Account remains dormant for up to 120 days |
| Must create new account if you return to WhatsApp | Can fully restore account if reactivated in 120 days |
In most cases, deactivating is the best choice if you think you may use WhatsApp again in the future. But deleting the account permanently removes it right away.
Conclusion
Deleting your WhatsApp account is a quick and straightforward process on both iPhones and Android devices. Navigate to Settings > Account > Delete My Account and confirm your action.
Just be sure to back up your messages, media, and chats before doing so. Once your WhatsApp account is deleted, there is no way to recover any data. It will take about 90 days for your information to be fully wiped from WhatsApp’s servers.
If you simply need a break from WhatsApp, deactivating your account for up to 120 days is an alternative that allows you to reactivate it later. But deleting it completely removes your account and all of your WhatsApp data for good.