Can I delete a contact only from WhatsApp?

WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One handy feature is that it syncs your phone’s contacts, so you can easily message people already in your address book.

But what if you want to delete a contact from WhatsApp, without removing them from your phone contacts? For example, you may wish to remove an ex or someone you no longer speak to, without losing their number in your contacts list.

The short answer is yes, it is possible to delete a contact from WhatsApp only. In this article, we’ll explain how to do it on both iPhone and Android devices.

Deleting WhatsApp Contacts on iPhone

Here are the steps to remove a contact from WhatsApp on an iPhone:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab.
2. Swipe left on the contact you want to delete.
3. Tap Delete.
4. Tap Delete Contact.

This will delete the contact from WhatsApp only. Their chat history will be erased. However, their phone number will remain in your iPhone’s contacts list.

If you simply want to clear the chat history with a contact, without removing them from your WhatsApp contacts, tap on the contact name and select Clear Chat.

Steps Explained

Let’s break down those steps in more detail:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab – Launch WhatsApp and tap on the Chats tab at the bottom, which shows your message threads.
2. Swipe left on the contact you want to delete – In the Chats list, press and hold your finger on the contact you want to remove. Then swipe left to reveal the delete button.
3. Tap Delete – A red delete button will appear. Tap on it to proceed.
4. Tap Delete Contact – A confirmation message will pop up. Tap Delete Contact to confirm you want to erase this contact from your WhatsApp.

And that’s it! The contact is now removed from your WhatsApp only. Their chat history will be deleted. But their phone number and other details will remain in your iPhone’s contacts list.

Deleting WhatsApp Contacts on Android

For Android devices, here are the steps to delete a contact from WhatsApp only:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap More options > Settings.
2. Tap Contacts > Tap the contact you want to remove.
3. Tap Delete > Delete contact.

This will erase the chosen contact from your WhatsApp contacts. Their chat history will be deleted. But their phone number will still be saved in your Android device’s contacts list.

Steps Explained

Let’s examine those Android steps in more detail:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap More options > Settings – Launch WhatsApp and tap the 3 dots menu icon in the top right. Go to Settings in the menu.
2. Tap Contacts > Tap the contact you want to remove – In Settings, tap Contacts. This will display your WhatsApp contacts. Tap on the contact you want to delete.
3. Tap Delete > Delete contact – You’ll see a Delete Contact button. Tap on it, then confirm by tapping Delete contact.

That’s it! The selected contact is removed from your WhatsApp contacts only. Their chat history will be erased, but their phone number stays in your Android device’s contacts.

Other WhatsApp Contact Options

Along with deleting, there are a few other useful things you can do to manage contacts in WhatsApp:

• Block a contact – This will block them from sending you messages or calling you on WhatsApp.
• Mark as Spam – Report a contact as spam to help improve WhatsApp’s spam detection.
• Export chat history – Save a record of your chat history with a contact via email or other sharing options.

Blocking or reporting spam can help deal with unwanted contacts. Exporting chat history can be useful if you want a record before deleting a contact.

Can a Contact See if You Delete Them on WhatsApp?

A common question is whether a contact gets notified if you delete them from your WhatsApp. The answer is no, they will not see or get any indication that you deleted them.

Deleting a contact only affects your side of WhatsApp. It removes the contact from your app and erases your local chat history with them. But it does not directly do anything on the contact’s version of WhatsApp.

So you can safely delete old contacts without them knowing. The only way they may find out is if they try to message you and see the messages don’t deliver.

Permanent Deletion vs. Archived Chats

There are a couple ways to organize and clear WhatsApp contacts:

• Delete contact – Permanently removes a contact from your WhatsApp. Erases chat history.
• Archive chat – Hides an active chat from view in WhatsApp without deleting. Chat history remains.

Deleting is permanent, while archiving just minimizes old chats you still want to keep. Archiving may be preferable if you still need occasional access to message a contact.

Conclusion

Deleting unwanted contacts can help organize your WhatsApp and remove people you no longer talk to. With just a few taps, you can delete a contact from WhatsApp while keeping their phone number intact in your contacts list.

On iPhone, swipe left to delete. On Android, go to Settings > Contacts and select the contact to remove. In a few seconds, the contact is gone from your WhatsApp only.

Remember, the contact will not be notified or see anything on their end when you delete them. And archiving is another option to just hide an active chat from view.

With this ability to remove contacts from WhatsApp independently, you can keep your app tidy and filled with the people you actually want to message.

Platform	Steps to Delete WhatsApp Contact
iPhone	Open WhatsApp Chats tab Swipe left on contact Tap Delete Tap Delete Contact
Android	Open WhatsApp > Settings Tap Contacts Tap contact name Tap Delete > Delete contact