Here's how you can delete WhatsApp messages. (Image credit: Pixabay)WhatsApp introduced ‘Delete for everyone’ as an option sometime back, and it is one of the most useful features that the messaging service offered to its users. The feature saves anyone from the embarrassment if they have accidentally sent a wrong message to a group or an individual chat. However, there are times when WhatsApp’s ‘Delete for everyone’ feature is not working and people wonder what might have gone wrong. We explain everything about this feature and how it works.
WhatsApp ‘Delete for everyone’ feature: What is it?
As the name suggests, it allows you to delete messages that you have sent accidentally to an individual or group chat. While this a great feature to have, WhatsApp also displays a label when you delete a specific message: “This message was deleted.” The person on the other side then gets to know that you have deleted a message. Using this feature, one can delete photos, videos, and messages as well.
Is there a way to read deleted WhatsApp messages?
Yes, there are two ways. You will find a few third-party apps on Google Play Store that show you messages that were deleted. However, one should not try these apps as they are not authorised and can compromise privacy of your WhatsApp account. Besides, there is a loophole in WhatsApp, which lets you check deleted WhatsApp messages in the notification panel if you have not cleared it.
How to delete WhatsApp messages for everyone in the chat?
Step 1: Open WhatsApp, and visit the chat containing the message you want to delete.
Step 2: Tap and hold the message and press on the dustbin icon, placed on the top bar of the chat. Once you tap on it, you will get three options, including Delete for me, Delete for everyone and Cancel.
Step 3: Tap on Delete for Everyone and the message will get deleted.
When does ‘Delete for everyone’ not work?
The company says that this feature will only work if you and the recipient are on the latest WhatsApp version. So, if ‘Delete for everyone’ is not visible or not working, then you should check whether you are using the latest version. If there is an update, you will likely see it on the respective app stores.
Also, if you don’t delete a message in about an hour, then you won’t get the ‘Delete for everyone’ option. The messaging service will only show you ‘Delete for me’ option. WhatsApp says “you won’t be notified if deleting for everyone wasn’t successful.” The company has noted that in case the app fails to delete a message, you will not be notified. So, you should be careful before sending any messages to anyone and should not completely rely on the delete messages feature.