WhatsApp groups allow multiple users to communicate in a single chat window. Groups can be useful for coordinating events, having discussions, or just staying in touch with friends and family. However, sometimes you may want to exit a WhatsApp group if the notifications become bothersome or the discussion is no longer relevant to you. So what happens when you leave a WhatsApp group? Here is a detailed look at what to expect.
Exiting a WhatsApp Group
Leaving a WhatsApp group is straightforward:
- Open the WhatsApp group chat
- Tap on the Group name at the top of the screen to open the Group Info window
- Scroll down and tap Exit Group
- Tap Exit Group again to confirm
Once you exit the group, your name will be removed from the list of participants. You’ll no longer be able to send or receive messages in that group chat.
Will You Still Get Notifications?
After exiting a WhatsApp group, you will stop receiving notifications from that group chat. This means you will no longer get alert sounds, vibration alerts, or banner notifications on your device when new messages come into the group.
By leaving the group, you are essentially muting notifications from that chat. You won’t be bothered by pings from that group unless you opt to rejoin it. This can be a big benefit if the group was frequently active with messaging that you no longer need to follow.
Can You Still Read Old Messages?
When you choose to exit a WhatsApp group, the chat history is still available on your device, even for messages sent after you left. You can scroll up in the group info screen to read old messages. However, once you close the group info screen, you won’t be able to access the chat history again.
If you want to retain the chat history, be sure to back it up before leaving the group. You can backup chats in WhatsApp by going to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. Backups store the last few days of messages, but not anything new after you exit the group.
Who Gets Notified When You Leave?
When a participant leaves a WhatsApp group, a system message is posted in the chat saying “XXX left” so all members are aware. The message does not reveal who exited the group. Only the group admin can see in the participant list that you have left.
If you want to exit quietly without notification, you can silently uninstall WhatsApp or delete the conversation instead of formally exiting. However, this means you won’t be able to access the chat history again.
Can You Rejoin the Group Later?
In most cases, yes you can rejoin a WhatsApp group after exiting:
- If you exited voluntarily, the group admin can add you back anytime.
- If you were removed by the admin, they would need to send you a new invite link to rejoin.
- For groups you created, you can rejoin with your admin privileges intact.
However, in some cases rejoining may not be possible:
- If the group has reached the maximum 256 participant limit, there may not be room to add you back.
- If the group was deleted after you exited, it is now inaccessible.
- If your number was blocked by the admin, you cannot be invited back.
Overall though, in most situations you can rejoin an old group if you change your mind down the road.
Will Your Number be Visible?
When you participate in a WhatsApp group, your phone number is visible to all members of the group. Even after exiting, group members still have access to your number in their contacts list if they had previously saved it.
The group admin can also still see your full phone number in the list of former group participants. There is no way to erase your number from the memory of group members once you have participated.
Can You Be Added Back Without Your Consent?
The WhatsApp group admin has the ability to add you back into a group without your approval. You may suddenly find yourself re-added to a group you previously exited.
If you don’t wish to rejoin, you can simply exit the group again. To prevent being re-added, you can block the admin’s number so they can no longer invite you.
Will Your Number be Available for New Groups?
Even after you leave a WhatsApp group, your phone number remains in the address books of the other participants who saved it. This means you could still get added to new groups by those members.
To avoid this, you can change your WhatsApp privacy settings:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy
- Disable “Groups” under “Who can add me to groups”
This will control who can add you to any new groups, not just ones involving past participants. You will have to confirm any new group invites, rather than being automatically added.
Can the Group Still See Your Read Receipts?
WhatsApp has read receipts that show when a message has been read by the recipient. Even after you leave a WhatsApp group, other members can still see when you’ve read messages that were sent before you exited.
Your read receipts apply to the chat history up until the point when you left the group. But once you exit, you will no longer generate read receipts for new group messages, since you can’t see them.
Do You Lose Access to Shared Media?
Any photos, videos, GIFs, documents or other media files shared in the WhatsApp group remain accessible in your chat history when you exit the group. You can view and save old media just like the message history.
However, new media sent in the group after you leave will not be available to you. Your access is limited to only the chat history from when you were a participant.
Can You Mute Notifications Before Leaving?
Rather than exiting right away, you may want to first mute notifications from a WhatsApp group if the chatter becomes temporarily bothersome. This allows you to stay part of the group while silencing notifications.
To mute a WhatsApp group:
- Long press on the group chat
- Tap Mute notifications
- Choose a duration to mute for
You can mute for 8 hours, 1 week, or always mute. New messages won’t generate notifications during the selected time period. You can unmute at any time to resume getting notifications.
What Happens When a Group is Deleted?
A WhatsApp group admin can choose to delete the group entirely. When this happens:
- The group chat is removed from the phones of all participants.
- The chat history is deleted and inaccessible.
- Your number is no longer visible to former group members.
- You cannot be added back since the group no longer exists.
So deleting a WhatsApp group erases it permanently for everyone previously involved. The only way to recreate it is for the admin to make an entirely new group and re-add members.
Can You Prevent Being Added to Groups?
If you don’t want to join any WhatsApp groups, you can prevent being added to new groups:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy
- Tap Groups
- Select “My Contacts Except…”
- Choose which contacts can add you to groups
This will limit new group additions to only people in your contacts list. You can further customize exactly which contacts are able to add you to groups.
Conclusion
Exiting a WhatsApp group stops notifications and removes your access to future messages, but allows you to keep the past chat history. You can rejoin most groups later as long as the admin sends another invite. Leaving also prevents your number from being available for new group adds by members. Overall, exiting a group is like stepping away from the conversation – you can look back at what you missed but won’t be an active participant again until rejoining.
Here is a summary of what happens when you leave a WhatsApp group:
- You stop getting notifications from the group.
- You can still read messages from when you were a member.
- A system message announces you left, but not specifically who.
- The admin can see you exited and re-add you.
- You may get added back by the admin without approving.
- Your number remains visible to former members.
- You can prevent being added to new groups.
- If the group is deleted, all history is erased.
Knowing these impacts of exiting a WhatsApp group can help you decide when it makes sense to leave versus staying muted. Leaving can reduce distractions and protect your privacy, while still allowing you to reconnect in the future if you ever change your mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access old group media after leaving?
Yes, any photos, videos, documents or links shared in the group remain available in your chat history when you exit. But new media sent after you leave will not be accessible.
Will group members know it’s me who left?
No, there will just be a system message saying “XXX left” without specifying who. Only the group admin can see exactly who exited in the member list.
Can I get added back to a group I left?
In most cases, yes. The group admin can send you a new invite link to rejoin the group if you voluntarily exited. However, if you were removed by the admin, they would need to willingly add you back.
What if I was added to a group by mistake?
If you were added to a WhatsApp group accidentally, you can simply exit the group. You can also report the group to WhatsApp if you have concerns about it. WhatsApp provides tools to leave unwanted groups.
Can I block specific people from adding me to groups?
Yes, you can block particular contacts from being able to add you to any WhatsApp groups. Go to Privacy settings > Groups and customize exactly who can add you.
Will group members still have my number if I leave?
If group members previously saved your number to their phone’s contacts, they will still have access to it even after you leave the group. Your number remains in their address book.
Can I mute a group instead of leaving it?
Yes, muting a WhatsApp group temporarily silences notifications but allows you to stay part of the conversation. You can mute for 8 hours, 1 week or always mute. This avoids exiting right away.
What happens if the group admin leaves?
If the group admin leaves, the oldest member will automatically become the new admin. If the admin leaves and deletes the group, it is permanently deleted. All members lose access to that group’s chat history.
Will I know if I get added back to a group I left?
If the group admin adds you back after you previously left, you will see the group reappear in your WhatsApp chats. You will get a notification when new messages arrive like normal.
Can I delete a group if I was the admin?
Yes, if you created a WhatsApp group and were the admin, you can delete that group. Deleting causes the group to disappear from all members’ chat lists and erases the message history.
Key Takeaways
- You stop getting notifications after leaving a WhatsApp group.
- Old messages remain accessible in your chat history.
- Your phone number stays visible to former group members.
- You can rejoin in the future if the admin sends a new invite.
- Leaving prevents your number being used for new group adds.
- If the group is deleted, the chat history is erased.