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, coworkers, and more through text, voice notes, video calls, and more.
One handy WhatsApp feature is the ability to star important messages and media, allowing you to easily find them later. However, over time your chats can fill up with lots of unwanted conversations and spam. If you want to delete your WhatsApp chats while keeping your starred messages, there are a few easy ways to do so.
Why Would You Want to Delete All WhatsApp Chats Except Starred?
Here are some common reasons you may want to delete all WhatsApp chats except the starred ones:
- To clear up storage space on your phone
- To remove old or unwanted conversations
- To archive important messages for later reference
- To organize your WhatsApp chats and keep only the essential conversations
- To remove clutter and keep your WhatsApp experience more streamlined
Deleting all non-starred chats allows you to remove spam, unwanted messages, and old conversations you no longer need. At the same time, starring important messages lets you keep essential information like addresses, key photos/videos, important conversations, and more.
How to Delete All WhatsApp Chats Except Starred on Android
If you have an Android device and want to mass delete WhatsApp chats while preserving your starred messages, here are the steps:
- Open the WhatsApp app on your Android device.
- Tap on the 3 dot menu icon in the top right corner.
- Select Settings > Chats > Chat History.
- Tap on “Delete All Chats” and confirm when prompted.
This will delete all of your WhatsApp chats while keeping the starred messages intact. Just be sure you have starred all the important chats and media you want to keep before deleting all other conversations.
Using WhatsApp Tools for Better Management
To make WhatsApp management easier, you can also use built-in organizational tools:
- Starring important messages lets you easily find them later.
- Archiving chats removes them from your main chat view.
- Muting chats allows you to ignore notifications.
- Backing up chats preserves your conversation history.
- Using WhatsApp on multiple devices syncs your chats across platforms.
Getting in the habit of using these tools allows you to keep WhatsApp organized without having to regularly delete all chats.
How to Delete All Non-Starred Chats on iPhone
On an iPhone, here is how to delete all WhatsApp chats except the starred ones:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab.
- Swipe left on a chat you want to delete.
- Tap Delete.
- Repeat this for each non-starred chat you want to remove.
This will let you manually delete all chats one by one except those you have starred. Make sure you have marked all important chats and media with a star before starting the deletion process.
Using WhatsApp’s Storage Usage Tool
The iPhone version of WhatsApp also has a storage usage tool you can use:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Data and Storage Usage.
- Tap Storage Usage and review your chats.
- Tap on a chat and select Delete Chat.
- Repeat this for each non-starred chat.
This gives you a breakdown of your chats and makes it easy to delete all conversations except the starred ones.
How to Delete All WhatsApp Chats Except Starred on Web/Desktop
WhatsApp is also available as a web and desktop app for Windows and Mac. Here’s how to delete all non-starred chats:
- Open web.whatsapp.com or the WhatsApp desktop app.
- Open a chat you want to delete.
- Click More > Delete Chat.
- Repeat this for each non-starred chat.
Just like on mobile, you can selectively delete each conversation on desktop to remove all chats except the starred ones. Make sure to star important chats first before deleting.
Using Third-Party Tools
Some third-party tools also exist that can help delete WhatsApp chats in bulk:
- WazzapMigrator – Desktop app that can migrate and delete chats.
- Chat-Exporter – Exports chats to CSV and allows deleting.
- BackupTrans – Manage, export, and selectively delete chat backups.
However, make sure to carefully test these tools first before using them to mass delete chats.
Important Things to Remember
Here are some key tips to keep in mind when deleting all WhatsApp chats except starred:
- Double check starred chats – Make absolutely sure you’ve starred all important chats and media before deleting.
- Back up chats – Consider backing up your WhatsApp history so you have a copy if needed.
- Delete media – Remember to delete large media files separately to free up space.
- Re-verify contacts – You may need to re-verify some contacts after deleting chats.
- Can’t recover deleted chats – Deleted WhatsApp chats can’t be recovered, so be 100% sure before deleting.
Going through this process requires care, so be cautious when permanently deleting WhatsApp conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common FAQs about deleting all WhatsApp chats except starred ones:
Does deleting chats delete them for everyone?
No, deleting your own WhatsApp chats only deletes them from your device and not for other people in the conversation. Their chat history will remain unchanged.
Will my contacts still have my number after I delete chats?
Yes, your contacts will still have your number in their address book even if you delete your chat history with them. However, you may need to re-verify some contacts after deleting chats.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp chats?
Unfortunately, there is no way to recover deleted WhatsApp chats after permanently erasing them from your device and chat backup. So be very careful before mass deleting chats.
Will deleted media files still take up space?
If you just delete chats but not the attached media (photos, videos, etc.), those files will still take up space. Make sure to also delete large media to free up storage.
Is there a way to backup starred chats only?
There’s no direct way to backup just starred WhatsApp chats. You’ll need to backup your entire chat history first, then delete the non-starred chats from that backup.
Conclusion
Deleting all WhatsApp chats while preserving your starred messages can be done through chat history settings on Android, manually on iPhone, or by using desktop apps.
The key is making absolutely sure you’ve starred all important chats and media first before deleting. Also remember deleted chats can’t be recovered, so handle this process with care.
Using WhatsApp’s built-in organizational tools like starring, archiving, muting, and backing up can also help you effectively manage your chats without needing to regularly mass delete conversations.
With hundreds of millions of users worldwide, WhatsApp is loaded with useful features beyond just messaging. Taking the time to properly organize your chats by starring key conversations, and occasionally clearing out unwanted chats, can go a long way in improving your WhatsApp experience.