WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps for iOS and Android devices. Over time, the app can take up a significant amount of storage space on your iPhone with cached media files, documents, and more. If you need to free up storage or want to delete your WhatsApp information before selling or giving away your iPhone, you can delete certain cached data or your entire account. Here’s what you need to know.
Deleting All WhatsApp Data
If you want to completely wipe all WhatsApp data from your iPhone, the quickest way is to uninstall and reinstall the app. Here’s how:
- Open the App Store app on your iPhone.
- Tap your profile icon in the upper right corner.
- Scroll down and tap Purchased.
- Search for WhatsApp and tap the cloud download icon to reinstall it.
Reinstalling the app will completely remove all previous WhatsApp data, including your messages, groups, media files, documents, and account information. You’ll have to sign up with your phone number again when first opening the newly installed app.
An alternative is to delete the app itself:
- Press and hold the WhatsApp icon on your home screen until the icons start wiggling.
- Tap the X icon on the WhatsApp icon to delete the app.
This will remove the app and all data from your iPhone storage. However, your WhatsApp data may still be stored in iCloud backups. To ensure it’s completely deleted from there, you’ll need to reset your iPhone and not restore from a backup. See below for details.
Deleting Cached Media
Over time, WhatsApp can consume substantial storage space on your device with cached media files like photos, videos, and documents. Luckily, you can delete this cached data to free up space without losing your conversations or account information. Here’s how:
- Open WhatsApp and tap Settings.
- Go to Data and Storage Usage.
- Tap Storage Usage.
- Review the list of media types and tap one to select which to delete, like Photos or Videos.
- Tap Delete to confirm removing the cached files.
This will only remove files that have already been downloaded to your phone’s storage. Your conversations and ability to download media within them will remain intact.
Backing Up Conversations
Before deleting your account and messages, you may want to back them up so you have a record. You have a few options:
- iCloud Backup: WhatsApp data is included in iCloud backups. You can back up to iCloud manually or via automatic backups.
- Local Backup: In WhatsApp, go to Chats > Chat Backup > Back Up Now to create a local backup on your device storage.
- Export Chat: You can export a full chat thread with media to email or other apps. Open the chat, tap More, Export Chat, and select your export option.
Deleting Your WhatsApp Account
If you want to completely delete your WhatsApp account and all associated data from your iPhone, here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp Settings.
- Tap Account.
- Scroll down and tap Delete My Account.
- Tap Delete My Account again to confirm.
This will erase your account info, groups, and entire message history from the device. Media files that have been saved to your camera roll or storage outside WhatsApp will not be deleted.
Also Delete WhatsApp Backups
Make sure to also delete any backups so your WhatsApp information is not restored later:
- Delete iCloud backups after the deletion process completes by going to iPhone Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups and deleting the WhatsApp backup.
- Delete any local backups from WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Delete All Backups.
Before Selling or Giving Away Your iPhone
If you plan on selling or giving away your iPhone, you’ll definitely want to deleted your WhatsApp account and all personal data first. Here’s an overview of the steps involved:
- Back up any important data like photos stored on the device.
- Log out of iCloud and disable Find My iPhone.
- Backup your WhatsApp messages if desired.
- Delete your WhatsApp account.
- Delete WhatsApp from iCloud backups.
- Erase all content and settings from your iPhone.
Doing this will remove your personal data like conversations, contacts, photos, and documents. It will reset the iPhone to factory settings so it’s clean for the next owner.
FAQs about Deleting WhatsApp Data
Does deleting WhatsApp delete my messages?
Yes, deleting the WhatsApp app will erase all messages, groups, media files, and account details from the app. Make sure to back up your chats before deleting if you want to keep them.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp messages?
If you have a backup of your messages, either in iCloud or local storage, you may be able to restore it and recover deleted WhatsApp data. Without a backup, your messages can’t be retrieved once deleted.
Will my contacts be deleted if I delete WhatsApp?
No, your contacts are stored separately in your iPhone’s Contacts app. Deleting WhatsApp only erases data within the app itself, not your overall contact list.
Does WhatsApp store data in iCloud?
WhatsApp data like messages, media files, and settings are included in iCloud backups. Make sure to delete WhatsApp backups from iCloud after removing the app to eliminate that data.
How much storage does WhatsApp use on iPhone?
It varies on usage, but WhatsApp can use from 150MB up to over 1GB of iPhone storage space in some cases. Cached media files tend to build up and take up storage over time.
Conclusion
Deleting your WhatsApp information prevents others from accessing conversations, documents, and media files if you sell, give away or recycle your iPhone. Make sure to fully wipe both the app data and any backups from iCloud or local storage when removing private WhatsApp content from your device.