Starred messages allow you to mark important messages in a chat for easy reference later. When you star a message, it gets a star icon next to it. Starred messages are accessible in their own tab within the chat, making them easy to find.
However, what happens to starred messages if you clear the chat history? Are they deleted along with all the other messages? Or do they remain available in the starred messages tab?
Do Starred Messages Get Deleted When You Clear Chat?
The short answer is no, starred messages do not get deleted when you clear chat history. Starred messages are exempt from normal message deletion and will remain visible even if you clear the entire chat.
When you click “Clear chat” in a chat window, it wipes all regular messages in the conversation. But any messages that have been starred will be preserved and stay in the starred messages tab.
So you don’t have to worry about losing important information if you clear chat history. The starred messages tab acts as a separate repository untouched by clearing old messages.
Why Starred Messages Are Saved
There are a couple reasons why starred messages remain available after clearing a chat:
To preserve important information
The main purpose of starring messages is to mark key information you may need later. If starring a message didn’t protect it from deletion, it would defeat the purpose. Users rely on starred messages to keep useful details easily accessible.
Separate storage from regular messages
Technically, starred messages are stored separately from the regular chat history. The chat database keeps track of all messages sent and received. Clearing the chat deletes this main database of messages.
But starred messages get copied over to a different dedicated storage. This keeps them safe when clearing out old chats. The starred message database remains intact even after deleting the main message history.
What Gets Deleted When You Clear Chat
Since starred messages remain, what actually gets deleted when you clear a chat? Clearing the chat history removes:
- All regular messages you’ve sent or received in the chat
- Photos, videos, and files exchanged in the chat
- Chat name and photo if you reset the chat
Basically, it wipes the entire conversation except for the starred entries. Any other associated media or info about the chat itself will also be deleted.
Important Things to Know About Clearing Chats
Here are some other key points to remember about clearing chat history and starred messages:
Clearing chat is permanent
Any regular messages deleted when clearing a chat are gone for good. There is no undo and no way to retrieve them. The only record will be in any starred messages.
Starred messages remain accessible
Starred messages are always available in the starred messages tab, even if you clear chat history multiple times. They essentially live outside the main chat.
Both parties can still see starred messages
Your starred messages are visible to anyone else in the chat thread as well. So clearing the chat does not remove them from the conversation for other participants.
Media files may be deleted
If you starred a message containing a photo, video, or file, clearing chat will delete the actual media even if the message text remains. Only the text will be saved, not any attached media.
You can remove stars
If you no longer need a starred message, you can unstar it which will remove it from the starred messages tab. This deletes it entirely since it’s no longer in the main chat.
When to Clear Chat History
Now that you know clearing the chat leaves starred messages intact, when should you actually clear message history? Here are some common reasons you may want to clear a chat log:
It contains sensitive information
If you discussed confidential matters or shared private details in a chat, you may want to delete the conversation. The only record then will be any pertinent starred messages.
It’s taking up too much space
Chats with a long history can take up a lot of storage space. Clearing old chats you no longer need can free up room on your device.
You want a fresh start
For long chats with the same person or group, wiping the history can give you a clean slate to continue the conversation.
You’re passing on the device
If you are giving your device to someone else, you’ll likely want to clear chat histories you no longer need for privacy reasons.
How to Clear Chat History
The process for clearing a chat history will vary somewhat depending on the messaging app. But here is a general guide to how it works in most apps:
Open the chat
First, open the specific chat whose history you want to clear. This could be an individual or group conversation.
Look for “Clear chat” option
There should be a “Clear chat” button or menu option somewhere in the chat window. This may be under a menu, the chat settings, or in the list of actions.
Confirm clearing chat
An alert will confirm that you want to clear the entire chat history. Select yes or confirm to proceed.
Check starred messages
After clearing the chat, you can go into your starred messages tab to make sure they were not deleted. All other messages should now be gone.
Other Chat Cleanup Options
In addition to clearing entire chat histories, you may also have other options to tidy up old conversations:
Delete specific messages
Rather than wiping everything, you can often delete single messages individually. However, this will not free up space.
Remove stale chats
If you haven’t messaged someone in a long time, deleting the whole chat can remove clutter. This prevents very old chats from filling your list.
Turn off chat history
Some apps allow you to disable saving any history for specific chats. This prevents messages from being retained.
Set messages to expire
Ephemeral chats or expiring messages will automatically delete themselves after a set time period.
Conclusion
Starred messages provide a way to pin important details in a conversation, even if you clear the rest of the chat history. They are stored separately and remain accessible in the starred messages tab after deleting other messages. So feel free to clear chat logs of old or unnecessary conversations, knowing starred details are safe. Just be aware that clearing chat is permanent – only the starred messages will stay available.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do starred messages get deleted when you clear chat history? | No, starred messages are exempt from deletion when clearing chats. |
| Where do starred messages get stored? | Starred messages are stored in a separate database from regular chat messages. |
| What gets permanently deleted when clearing a chat? | Clearing chat deletes all regular messages, media files, and info about the chat itself. |
| Can you access cleared chats or recover deleted messages? | No, clearing a chat history is permanent and cannot be undone. |
| Do starred messages remain visible to all chat participants? | Yes, starred messages can still be seen by all members of the chat. |