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.
A great feature of WhatsApp is that it syncs your conversations and data across multiple devices so you can pick up where you left off when switching between your phone, tablet, or computer. However, this can also become a privacy concern if you have logged into WhatsApp on a device that you no longer own or have access to.
Fortunately, WhatsApp provides a way for you to remotely log out of your account on other devices. This guide will walk you through the steps to remove your WhatsApp account from all devices it’s logged into.
Why You Might Want to Remove WhatsApp from Other Devices
Here are some common reasons you may want to unlink WhatsApp devices:
- You sold or gave away your old phone or tablet and want to make sure the new owner can’t access your WhatsApp account.
- A device you logged into WhatsApp on was lost or stolen.
- You used WhatsApp on a friend or family member’s device and no longer want them accessing your account.
- You want to free up the number of devices that can be linked to your account (WhatsApp allows up to 4 linked devices).
Removing devices ensures your chats and information stay private if you no longer have possession of a previously linked device. It’s a good security practice to log out of services on old devices when you upgrade or replace them.
How to View Currently Linked Devices
Before removing your account from other devices, you’ll want to check which devices are currently linked to your WhatsApp account:
- Open WhatsApp on your primary phone.
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Tap on “Linked Devices”.
This will show you a list of all smartphones, tablets, and computers that your WhatsApp account is logged into. Take note of any devices you don’t recognize or no longer own.
Unlink Devices Through WhatsApp Directly
The easiest way to remotely log out of WhatsApp on other devices is directly through the WhatsApp app on your primary smartphone:
- Follow the steps above to go to Linked Devices.
- Tap on the device you want to unlink.
- Tap “Unlink”.
- Confirm you want to unlink the device.
This will instantly log your WhatsApp account out of that device. The next time the device tries to connect to WhatsApp, it will require your phone number and verification code to log back in.
Unlink Through Account Settings
You can also use WhatsApp’s account management settings on their website to view and unlink devices:
- Go to https://www.whatsapp.com/device on your computer.
- Enter your phone number in international format (include country code).
- Click “Request code”.
- Enter the 6-digit verification code WhatsApp sends you.
- Click on “Unlink” next to any devices you want to remote log out of.
- Confirm unlinking the device.
This method has the same effect of instantly logging your account out of selected devices.
Change Your WhatsApp Password
In addition to unlinking devices, you can also update your WhatsApp password which will log all devices out of your account:
- Go to the Linked Devices page in your WhatsApp app or settings.
- Tap the menu button in the top right corner.
- Choose “Change password”.
- Enter your old password and new password.
- Confirm your new password.
After changing your password, your account will be logged out of all linked devices. This extra step can help ensure no devices remain logged in that you may have forgotten about.
Logging Back Into Your Primary Device
After unlinking devices or changing your password, you will also be logged out of your primary smartphone. To get back into your account:
- Open WhatsApp on your smartphone.
- Enter your phone number when prompted.
- Enter the new 6-digit verification code sent to your phone.
- Set a new password if changing your password.
You should now be logged back into your primary device while having removed all other devices. Going forward, only link WhatsApp to devices you frequently use and trust to maintain your privacy.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you run into any issues removing devices:
- Make sure you are uninstalling devices from your primary smartphone that you actively use for WhatsApp. Attempting to unlink from a secondary device often does not work.
- If a device remains linked after unlinking, try restarting your phone and unlink again. There can be sync delays.
- Check that the device is connected to the internet in order to process the unlink command.
- If unlinking through WhatsApp Web, make sure you scan the QR code again after unlinking devices. This will log you out and require re-authentication.
- As a last resort, you can contact WhatsApp directly for help removing devices.
Following these troubleshooting tips should help resolve any issues you encounter while trying to remove WhatsApp devices.
Preventing Unauthorized Logins
Going forward, you can take steps to prevent unauthorized logins and maintain account security:
- Be cautious when logging into WhatsApp on shared, borrowed, or public devices. Only use your own trusted devices.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for your WhatsApp account.
- Frequently audit linked devices and unlink any you don’t use regularly.
- Change your WhatsApp password periodically.
- Never give your verification code to anyone else.
- Use screen locks on your devices.
Following these best practices will help ensure your WhatsApp account stays private and prevent unwanted logins moving forward.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key tips to remember when removing your WhatsApp account from devices:
- View currently linked devices in WhatsApp’s settings or the Linked Devices website.
- Unlink devices directly from WhatsApp on your primary smartphone.
- Use the Linked Devices website to remotely unlink.
- Change your WhatsApp password to log out of all devices.
- Log back into your primary phone with your verification code.
- Employ extra security measures to avoid unauthorized logins.
Removing your WhatsApp account from unused devices gives you control over your privacy and helps secure your account against unwanted access. Following the steps in this guide, you can easily manage and audit the devices using your WhatsApp account.
Conclusion
WhatsApp provides a convenient way to sync your messaging across multiple devices. However, when replacing or getting rid of an old device, you need to properly unlink your WhatsApp account to prevent the new owner from accessing your information.
By viewing your linked devices, unlinking specific devices you no longer want connected, and changing your password, you can securely remove your WhatsApp account from any device it’s logged into. Making this a regular habit when upgrading devices helps maintain privacy and account security.
Combined with enabling two-factor authentication, being cautious when logging in on shared devices, and employing device-level security like screen locks, you can proactively safeguard your WhatsApp account. Follow the steps outlined in this guide and you’ll have full control over which devices can access your conversations and data going forward.