WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family and coworkers through text, voice messages, video calls and more.
One useful WhatsApp feature is the ability to set disappearing messages, which will automatically delete sent messages after a set period of time. This can help you manage storage space on your device and maintain privacy around sensitive conversations.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to enable disappearing messages on WhatsApp chats on both iPhone and Android devices. We’ll also cover how to set a custom timer for deleting messages, from a few seconds up to a year. Follow these steps to take control over your WhatsApp message retention.
Enable Disappearing Messages on iPhone
Enabling disappearing messages on iPhone is simple:
1. Open the WhatsApp app and go into the chat where you want to turn on disappearing messages.
2. Tap the contact’s name at the top of the screen to open their contact info.
3. Scroll down and tap ‘Disappearing Messages’.
4. Select the duration you want messages to disappear after, between 5 seconds to 24 hours.
5. Tap ‘Continue’ then confirm by selecting ‘Enable’.
That’s it! Now any new messages sent or received in that chat will automatically disappear after the selected duration. The change applies to that specific chat only.
Enable Disappearing Messages on Android
The process is very similar on Android devices:
1. Open WhatsApp and go into the individual or group chat.
2. Tap the three dot menu icon in the top right corner.
3. Select ‘Disappearing messages’.
4. Choose a duration between 5 seconds up to 90 days for messages to disappear after.
5. Confirm by tapping ‘ON’.
Disappearing messages are now activated for that chat thread. Repeat these steps in other chats to enable it more widely.
Customize the Delete Timer
While WhatsApp provides pre-set options for disappearing message durations, you can also set a custom timer. Here’s how:
On iPhone:
1. Follow steps 1-3 above to get the Disappearing Messages screen.
2. At the bottom, select ‘Set Timer’.
3. Choose a custom duration up to 365 days. The minimum is 5 seconds.
4. Hit ‘OK’ to confirm.
On Android:
1. Follow steps 1-3 in the Android section above.
2. Tap ‘Custom’.
3. Choose a custom length from 5 seconds up to 1 year.
4. Confirm by tapping ‘OK’.
Now WhatsApp will adhere to your precise custom duration for deleting messages in that chat automatically.
Important Points
When enabling disappearing messages, keep these key points in mind:
– The feature works for new messages going forward. It will not delete previous chat history.
– All participants in a chat must have disappearing messages enabled for it to work properly.
– Disappearing messages can still be previewed from notifications until opened in the app.
– Recipients can still screenshot or copy messages before they disappear on the sender’s side.
– Disabled media will not delete when disappearing messages is on. Media must be deleted manually.
– Turning the feature off will not recover disappeared messages. They are deleted from the server.
Deleted WhatsApp Chat Recovery
While enabling disappearing messages provides more privacy, you may occasionally want to retrieve deleted messages or chats. Here are a few options for WhatsApp chat recovery on both iPhone and Android:
iPhone Recovery Methods
– **iCloud Backup** – If you have iCloud backup enabled, you can restore archived WhatsApp data including chats when you set up a new device or reinstall the app.
– ** iTunes Backup** – Connect iPhone to a computer and utilize iTunes backups to retrieve deleted chats.
– **Third-party Apps** – Apps like iMyFone D-Back and Dr.Fone can extract WhatsApp data from iTunes backups without restoring your device.
Android Recovery Methods
– **Google Drive Backup** – If Google Drive backup is enabled, deleted chats can be restored when setting up WhatsApp on a new device or reinstall.
– **Local Backup** – WhatsApp automatically saves backups to device storage. Use file manager apps to locate and restore these backups.
– **Helium App** – Allows creating non-encrypted backups readable by other apps like WhatsApp Viewer for parsing chat logs.
– **Third-party Apps** – Desktop software like iMyFone D-Back can recover WhatsApp data by extracting local Android backups without erase device data.
Conclusion
Temporarily deleting WhatsApp conversations can be useful for privacy or storage management. Enable disappearing messages in individual or group chats, customize the auto-delete timer, and understand key points around how the feature works. If you ever need to retrieve deleted messages, iPhone and Android provide backup options that may allow recovery. Use WhatsApp’s disappearing messages selectively for keeping sensitive chats truly private while maintaining your message history.
| Platform | Enable Disappearing Messages | Customize Delete Timer | Recovery Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Chat Info > Disappearing Messages | Set Timer > Custom Duration | iCloud Backup, iTunes Backup, Third-party Apps |
| Android | Chat Settings > Disappearing Messages | Custom > Choose Duration | Google Drive Backup, Local Backup, Helium, Third-party Apps |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp notify the recipient when disappearing messages is enabled?
No, WhatsApp does not directly notify the recipient that disappearing messages has been enabled for a chat. However, if they are already using the feature in that chat, they will be aware based on your messages disappearing after the set duration.
Can I enable disappearing messages for all my WhatsApp chats?
Unfortunately, there is no option to enable disappearing messages for all chats globally at once. You need to manually enable it for each individual chat where you want messages to disappear.
Will disabling disappearing messages recover deleted messages?
No, disabling the feature will only stop future messages from being deleted automatically. Any messages already disappeared will not be recovered when you turn off disappearing messages.
Can I see message previews if disappearing messages is enabled?
Yes, you will still get message notifications and be able to view message previews in the notification shade even with disappearing messages turned on. However, once you open the chat thread in the WhatsApp app, the message will disappear after the duration expires.
Do media files also get deleted by WhatsApp disappearing messages?
Photos, videos and other media will get deleted by default if disappearing messages is enabled. However, if you disable media visibility in chat settings, any media files will remain in the chat and need to be manually deleted even with disappearing messages on.
Other WhatsApp Auto-Delete Options
In addition to disappearing messages, WhatsApp provides other auto-delete settings:
– **Delete Old Chats** – Automatically remove chats older than a set duration (90 days, 1 year, etc).
– **Media Visibility Off** – Newly received media will not auto-download and must be manually saved before disappearing.
– **Storage Usage** – Review and delete items like large files and media to clear up space.
– **Delete Account** – Permanently erase your WhatsApp account and data from their servers.
Best Practices for WhatsApp Privacy
Here are some other tips for keeping your WhatsApp chats private and secure:
– Enable two-factor authentication for account security.
– Verify that chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted – this will show on encrypted chats.
– Limit profile and last seen visibility to contacts only.
– Turn off external chat backups to third-party services like Google Drive.
– Be cautious of sending sensitive information which recipients can screenshot.
– Review your contacts and block any unknown users.
– Report problematic chats or accounts to WhatsApp directly.
– Keep your device and WhatsApp app up-to-date with the latest versions.
– Enable remote erase capabilities in case your device is lost or stolen.
– Setup a strong password and enable fingerprint/face unlock where supported.
– Use antivirus, VPN and firewall software to protect against malware and attacks.
– Educate yourself on common WhatsApp scams to avoid clicking suspicious links or messages.
Conclusion
WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature provides an easy way to set timed deletion of chat content for better privacy. Enable it in individual chats on both iPhones and Android phones, customize the auto-delete duration, and leverage backups if you need to restore deleted messages. Combine disappearing messages with overall best practices for keeping your WhatsApp communication secure. Remember to use the auto-delete option selectively based on your specific messaging needs and preferences.