WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos and make voice and video calls. WhatsApp also provides the option to back up chats to Google Drive or iCloud.
Backing up chats can be useful if you want to restore your chat history when switching phones. However, sometimes you may want to permanently delete a chat from both your phone and the backup for privacy reasons.
Can I delete WhatsApp chats from my phone only?
Yes, you can delete specific chats or all chats from your WhatsApp app on your phone. Here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the chat you want to delete
- Tap and hold on the chat
- Tap “Delete” and confirm deletion
This will delete the chat from your phone’s WhatsApp app. However, it will still be present in your Google Drive or iCloud backup.
How to delete WhatsApp chat backup from Google Drive?
If you have Chat Backup enabled in WhatsApp and are backing up to Google Drive, here are the steps to delete a chat from the backup:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap on “Backup” and wait for the backup to complete
- Open Google Drive and find the WhatsApp folder
- In the WhatsApp folder, locate and delete the chat backup file you want to remove
- Go back to WhatsApp and tap “Back Up” again to create a new backup without the deleted chat
This will permanently remove the chat backup from Google Drive. The chat will still be present on your phone until you manually delete it.
How to delete WhatsApp chat backup from iCloud?
For iOS users who backup chats to iCloud, here are the steps to delete a chat from the iCloud backup:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Turn off Chat Backup
- Go to iPhone Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups
- Select your device backup and swipe left on the WhatsApp backup to delete
- Go back to WhatsApp and turn Chat Backup on to create a new backup without the deleted chat
This will remove the chat from your iCloud backup. You still need to manually delete the chat from your iPhone’s WhatsApp app.
How to delete WhatsApp chat backup from Google Drive and phone?
To completely delete a WhatsApp chat from both your phone and Google Drive backup:
- Delete the chat in WhatsApp app on your phone
- Delete the chat backup file from Google Drive
- Force WhatsApp to create a new backup by going to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and tapping “Back Up”
This will ensure the chat is deleted from both locations permanently.
How to delete WhatsApp chat backup from iCloud and iPhone?
For iOS users with iCloud backup, here are the steps to delete a WhatsApp chat from both the phone and iCloud:
- Delete the chat in the WhatsApp app on your iPhone
- Turn off Chat Backup in WhatsApp settings
- Delete the WhatsApp backup from iCloud as shown above
- Turn Chat Backup on in WhatsApp to create a new backup without the deleted chat
This will permanently remove the chat from both your iPhone’s WhatsApp app and the iCloud backup.
Can I recover deleted WhatsApp chats?
If you have deleted a chat from WhatsApp but still have a backup on Google Drive or iCloud, you may be able to recover the deleted chats.
For Google Drive backup:
- Delete your current WhatsApp backup from Google Drive
- Install WhatsApp on a new device and verify your number
- On the new device, restore your chats and media from the old backup during initial setup
For iCloud backup:
- Delete WhatsApp app from your iPhone
- Turn off iCloud Backup for WhatsApp
- Reinstall WhatsApp and restore chat history from iCloud backup
However, if you have permanently deleted the chat backup from Google Drive or iCloud, then it is not possible to recover those deleted chats.
How to permanently delete WhatsApp account?
To completely delete your WhatsApp account along with all chats and data:
- Open WhatsApp Settings > Account > Delete My Account
- Enter your phone number and tap Delete My Account
- Wait for some time until your account is deleted
This will erase your WhatsApp account and all data from their servers. You can verify account deletion by trying to re-register your number – it should work indicating your account has been removed.
Important points to remember
- Deleting chats from your phone only will not remove them from cloud backup
- You need to manually delete chats from Google Drive or iCloud storage
- Create a new backup after deleting chats for permanent removal
- You can recover chats from backup as long as backup exists
- Permanently deleting WhatsApp account will erase all your data
Conclusion
In summary:
- Delete chats from your phone’s WhatsApp app to remove them locally
- Also delete chat backup files from Google Drive or iCloud storage
- Force WhatsApp to create a fresh backup to permanently remove chats
- Deleted chats can be recovered as long as you have a backup available
- Erasing your WhatsApp account will permanently delete all your chats and data
Following these steps will help you permanently remove chats from both your phone and cloud backups for privacy. Be careful before deleting chats as they can’t be recovered without a backup.