WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features of WhatsApp is the ability to send messages to a broadcast list, allowing you to easily communicate with multiple people at once.
However, you may sometimes send a message to a broadcast list that you want to delete for all recipients. For example, you may have accidentally sent an incorrect date for an event or shared something too personal. Thankfully, WhatsApp gives you the ability to delete messages for everyone, even if it was sent to multiple people.
Understanding WhatsApp’s Delete for Everyone Feature
WhatsApp’s “Delete for Everyone” feature allows you to revoke messages you’ve sent, essentially deleting them from the chat history. This removes the message for all participants in the chat, preventing them from seeing it.
There are some important caveats to be aware of with the Delete for Everyone feature:
- It only works for messages you’ve sent within the last 68 minutes. Any older, and you won’t be able to delete it.
- Messages can still show up in notifications before they’re deleted. So recipients may briefly see a preview.
- If a recipient doesn’t have the chat open when you delete the message, it will be removed when they next open WhatsApp.
- You can only delete messages for everyone up to 10 times in a chat within 8 minutes. This limit resets after 8 minutes.
- Deleted messages may still be restored from a recipient’s backup.
Overall, Delete for Everyone doesn’t permanently erase messages. But it does reliably remove them from the chat history for all participants.
Step-by-Step Guide to Delete WhatsApp Messages for Everyone in a Broadcast List
If you’ve sent a message to a WhatsApp broadcast list that you want to delete for everyone, follow these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp chat with the broadcast list you messaged.
- On Android, tap and hold the message you want to delete. On iPhone, swipe left on the message.
- Tap the trash can icon to “Delete for everyone.”
- A pop-up will ask “Delete for everyone?” Tap DELETE.
The message will now be deleted from the chat for all recipients in the broadcast list. You’ll see “This message was deleted” in place of the deleted message.
Important Notes When Deleting WhatsApp Broadcast Messages
Here are some key points to keep in mind when deleting messages sent to a WhatsApp broadcast list:
- You can only delete messages for everyone that you have sent. You cannot delete messages from other people.
- It only works on messages sent within the last 68 minutes.
- Messages can be deleted for groups as well as broadcast lists.
- Media such as photos and videos can also be deleted as long as they were sent within 68 minutes.
- You may need to separately delete the message for each recipient if beyond the 10 delete limit.
- The feature works for both regular chats and encrypted WhatsApp calls.
- Messages backed up to Google Drive or iCloud before deletion will remain in the backup.
Troubleshooting Problems Deleting WhatsApp Broadcast Messages
In some cases, you may run into issues trying to delete WhatsApp broadcast messages. Here are some common problems and fixes:
Message Too Old to Delete
If you try deleting a message older than 68 minutes, you’ll get an error that the message is too old to delete. Unfortunately, there is no way around this time limit on deleting messages.
Exceeded Delete Limit
Due to the 10 delete limit in 8 minutes, you may not be able to delete a message and will be prompted that you can’t delete any more in this chat right now. Wait 8 minutes for the limit to reset.
Message Already Seen by Recipients
If recipients have already seen the message, such as in notifications, deleting it will not fully erase it from their inbox or memory. But it will remove it from the chat history.
Message Restored from Backup
If a recipient has chat backups enabled, a deleted message could be restored from a recent backup. The message will be deleted from the live chat, but could reappear if chat history is restored.
In these cases, your best options are to directly notify the recipients about deleting the message and ask them to disregard it if they saw it before it was deleted.
How to Prevent Sending Messages You Later Want to Delete
To avoid having to delete messages sent to WhatsApp broadcast lists, consider these preventative measures:
- Be cautious when messaging broadcast lists – Think carefully before sending to multiple recipients.
- Review before sending – Double check the message and who you’re sending it to before hitting send.
- Enable preview mode – Turn on WhatsApp’s message preview setting to review before sending.
- Avoid sensitive info – Don’t share confidential or private details unnecessarily.
- Proofread messages – Watch out for typos, incorrect info or unclear wording.
Taking an extra moment to think before broadcasting a message can prevent having to delete it for everyone afterwards.
Conclusion
Deleting messages sent to a WhatsApp broadcast list is straightforward – just tap and hold or swipe on the message, then tap “Delete for everyone.” This removes the message from the chat history for all recipients in the broadcast list.
However, there are important caveats, including a 68 minute time limit, 10 message delete limit, and backups potentially retaining deleted messages. Being cautious when messaging broadcast lists and reviewing before sending can prevent having to delete messages later.
Overall, while not perfect, WhatsApp’s delete for everyone feature is a useful way to retract messages sent to multiple recipients if you act quickly enough. Knowing how to properly delete broadcast messages for everyone can help maintain your privacy and avoid unintended sharing.