WhatsApp groups allow users to communicate with multiple people at once in a chat room-like format. Group admins have the ability to add and remove participants as needed. But what exactly happens when you remove someone from a WhatsApp group?
They immediately stop receiving messages
The first and most obvious result of removing someone from a WhatsApp group is that they will immediately stop receiving any new messages sent in the group chat. As soon as the admin taps the “Remove” button, that user is disconnected from the group and won’t get any further texts, photos, videos, or other content shared there.
So if you need to quickly cut off someone’s access to a group conversation, removing them is the fastest and most effective way to do it. They won’t be able to see any messages that come in after they’ve been booted out of the chat.
The group info and icon stays on their phone
Even though the removed user stops getting messages from the group, the group itself will actually still be visible in their list of chats. The name, icon, and other information about the group will remain unchanged from their perspective.
So if you remove someone from a group called “Weekend Trip Planning” with a custom icon, they will still see that group title and icon in their chats list. This allows them to easily rejoin if they are added back to the group later on.
They can no longer send messages to the group
In addition to stopping any new messages from coming in, being removed from a WhatsApp group also means the person can no longer send outgoing messages to the group. Even though they still see the group in their chat list, any messages they attempt to send won’t go through.
Instead, they will get an error notification at the bottom of the chat informing them that they can’t send any messages. So the group essentially becomes a one-way, read-only chat for the removed member, rather than an interactive conversation.
Other members will see a notification
When a member gets removed from a WhatsApp group, it doesn’t happen secretly without anyone noticing. In fact, a prominent notification is sent in the group chat stating “[User] was removed from the group by [Admin]”.
So if Ryan is removed from the “Weekend Trip Planning” group by admin Jessica, the remaining members will all receive a notification saying “Ryan was removed from the group by Jessica”.
This helps inform the other participants when members come and go, so they don’t have to wonder why someone suddenly stopped appearing in the chat.
Their messages remain in the chat history
If someone gets removed from a WhatsApp group, the messages they previously sent in the group do not get erased or deleted. The chat history remains intact and continues showing all past messages from all participants.
So past conversations with the removed member, their comments, media files, and anything else they may have sent before getting removed will still be present in the group and visible to the existing members.
They can no longer be mentioned or replied to
Since removed users can no longer participate or view new messages in the group chat, this means other members can no longer directly mention or reply to that person.
If someone tries to @mention the removed member in a new message, it will fail to send and show an error. And tapping to reply on one of their old messages will just start a new message instead.
Their contact info is inaccessible
In addition to silencing all communication with a removed user, admins and members also lose access to that person’s contact information and profile data within the context of the group.
Their name and profile photo will remain visible on any past messages they sent. But members can no longer view their full profile or contact details by tapping on their name in the group info screen or chat.
They can rejoin if added again
Unlike leaving a group themselves, being removed from a WhatsApp group does not delete that group or any of its info from the user’s app. And they can rejoin the group chat if an admin later adds them back.
If the group sends a link or invite code to the removed member, they can rejoin just like any new participant. So removing someone does not have to be a permanent banishment – they can be added back in if desired.
Privacy settings determine future messaging
If an admin removes someone from a WhatsApp group, it does not automatically block further communication with them or delete their individual chat history with other members.
Whether or not they can continue to message specific members 1-on-1 depends on that member’s privacy settings. For example, if Jim blocks Ryan after he’s removed from a group, Ryan will no longer be able to privately message Jim.
They’ll lose access to shared media
In addition to cutting off real-time communication, removed group members also lose access to any new media and files shared within the chat after they’ve been taken out.
So if photos, videos, documents, voice messages, or other content gets exchanged in the group after their removal, the ousted member has no way to retrieve or view those media items.
Admin tools remain limited for now
Currently, the options available to WhatsApp group admins when removing participants are still fairly limited. For example, there is no ability to:
- Remove multiple users at once
- Permanently delete a user’s past messages and content they shared
- Temporarily mute a disruptive user rather than fully remove them
So the tools are still somewhat bare-bones. But WhatsApp frequently adds new features and options to groups, so more advanced removal and moderation powers may be coming eventually.
Banned users may lose context
When someone gets pulled out of a complex or long-running group conversation, they can lose a lot of context about what’s being actively discussed among the remaining participants.
Without seeing the most recent messages and reactions, they won’t have insight into the current topic thread, in-jokes, poll results, planned events, and other details guiding the ongoing dialogue.
It may damage relationships
In many cases, being abruptly removed from a friend group’s chat – without any explanation or chance to address the decision – can feel hurtful or spark resentment towards whoever did the removing.
Even if there were good reasons, the removed person is likely to feel offended, singled-out, or confused by the sudden exile from the social circle.
So unless the removal was mutually agreed upon, it may negatively impact real-world relationships between that person and other group members.
Conclusion
Removing someone from a WhatsApp group is a simple action with immediate effects – they stop receiving messages and can no longer participate. But it also has many secondary results, from persisting group info to hurt feelings.
Overall, strategically adding and removing participants is a key part of managing dynamic group conversations over time. Both including relevant people and pruning disruptive ones helps optimize the group’s purpose.
Understanding the nuances of what happens when you delete contacts from a chat can help ensure you maintain positive real-world relationships despite any virtual removals.
| What happens when someone is removed from a WhatsApp group |
|---|
| They immediately stop getting new messages sent to the group |
| The group name/icon remains visible in their chats list |
| They can no longer send their own messages to the group |
| A notification informs other members they were removed |
| Their past messages remain in the group’s history |
| They can no longer be @mentioned or directly replied to |
| Their full contact info is no longer accessible within group |
| They can rejoin if an admin adds them back |
| Removal alone does not block further communication |
| They lose access to any newly shared media |
| Admin tools are still limited for removals |
| Banned users may miss important context |
| It can damage real-world relationships |
Key Takeaways
- Removal from a WhatsApp group cuts off all new messaging both to and from that person.
- Their old messages remain visible, but they can no longer be directly replied to.
- Other members are notified when someone gets removed from the group chat.
- The removed person loses access to newly shared media and files after the deletion.
- How the removal impacts real-world relationships depends on the circumstances.
- Group admins have limited removal tools right now, but more options may come in the future.