WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, documents and more to individuals and groups. A key feature of WhatsApp is its backup function – this allows users to save their chat history and media to the cloud.
Many WhatsApp users utilize the backup feature to preserve their chats and media. However, a common question is whether deleting chats on the WhatsApp app also deletes them from the backup. The short answer is no, deleting chats on the WhatsApp app does not delete them from the existing backup. However, any chats deleted before the next backup will not be included in the new backup.
How WhatsApp Backup Works
To understand why deleted chats remain in the backup, it’s important to know how the WhatsApp backup system works:
– Backups are saved to either Google Drive or iCloud, depending on if you use an Android phone or iPhone.
– WhatsApp automatically backs up your chats daily at 4am. You can also manually trigger a backup at any time from WhatsApp’s settings.
– The backup contains your chat history and media exchanged in chats. It does not include your call history.
– When you reinstall WhatsApp or set up on a new device, you can restore your chats and media from the latest backup.
Key Points
- Backups occur daily and are stored in Google Drive or iCloud
- Backups contain chat history and exchanged media
- You can restore chats and media when reinstalling WhatsApp or setting up on a new device
So in summary, your WhatsApp chats and media are backed up independently from what you actually have saved on your phone’s WhatsApp app. Deleting chats on your phone does not affect the record of them in your existing backup.
What Happens When You Delete Chats?
When you delete a chat or media on the WhatsApp app on your phone, it is simply removed from your phone’s local WhatsApp database. However, it will still be present in your latest WhatsApp backup on Google Drive or iCloud.
This is because the backup acts as a snapshot record of your WhatsApp data from the time it was last backed up. Unless you manually delete your WhatsApp backups, any deleted chats and media will continue to be preserved in your chat history within the backup.
So if you restore your backup when reinstalling WhatsApp or setting up on a new phone, the deleted chats and media will reappear, as they were present at the time of the last backup.
Key Points
- Deleting chats on your phone only removes them from your local WhatsApp database
- Deleted chats remain preserved in your latest WhatsApp backup
- Restoring your backup brings back any chats and media you deleted after the last backup
When are Deleted Chats Removed from Backup?
The only time deleted WhatsApp chats and media are removed from the backup is when the next backup occurs.
For example, if you delete a chat on Monday and the next automatic backup happens on Tuesday at 4am, that deleted chat will no longer be included in the new backup saved on Tuesday.
This is because the Tuesday backup will reflect the current state of your WhatsApp data, which no longer contains the chat you deleted on Monday.
Key Points
- Deleted chats are only removed from the backup during the next backup
- The next scheduled backup reflects the current state of your WhatsApp data
- Any chats deleted since the last backup will not be included in the new backup
So in summary, while deleting chats does not remove them from your existing WhatsApp backup, they will be excluded from any new backups created after you delete them on your phone’s app.
How to Delete WhatsApp Chats from Backup
If you want to completely delete a WhatsApp chat from your backup, so that it does not reappear even if you restore your backup, then you need to take the following steps:
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the three dots in the top right
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap on BACK UP TO DRIVE
- Tap Delete Backup to delete the current backup containing the chat you want to remove.
Deleting the backup will reset your chat history and require you to create a new backup from scratch without the deleted chat.
On iPhone:
- Go to iPhone Settings > [your name] > iCloud
- Tap Manage Storage > Backups
- Select the WhatsApp backup and tap Delete Backup
Again, this will reset your WhatsApp chat history and media on any device using that iCloud account. Your next backup will not include any chats deleted before the previous backup.
Key Points
- You need to delete your existing WhatsApp backup to remove deleted chats completely
- This resets your chat history and removes all chats, not just the ones you want deleted
- Any chats deleted after the previous backup will stay deleted in new backups
So in summary, while deleting chats in the app does not remove them from your backup, you can take the nuclear option of deleting your entire backup to wipe the chat history completely. Just be aware this resets all your WhatsApp data, not just the chats you want gone.
Does Deleting Messages Delete them from Recipients’ Phones?
A final note – deleting chats and messages on your phone does not delete them from the phones of other people you’ve chatted with.
For example, if you delete a message you sent to a friend, it will disappear from your phone but remain visible in your friend’s chat with you.
This is because each person has their own local WhatsApp database and backups. Deleting on your phone only affects your copies of the chats, not those on other people’s devices.
So don’t count on deleting a message on your phone to remove it on your contact’s phones. They may still be able to view and back up messages you have deleted.
Key Points
- Deleting chats only deletes them locally, not on recipients’ phones
- Messages you delete may still be visible to people you’ve chatted with
- Each person has their own local WhatsApp database and backups
Conclusion
In summary:
– Deleting WhatsApp chats on your phone app does not delete them from your existing backup.
– Deleted chats remain in your backup until you create a new backup.
– To permanently delete a chat from all backups, you must delete your existing backup which resets your chat history.
– Chats deleted on your phone remain visible to recipients you’ve chatted with.
So while deleting chats provides some level of removing messages from your device, it does not delete them from your backup or your contact’s phones. To fully purge chats from all records requires more drastic measures of deleting your WhatsApp backup entirely.
| Action | Deletes from Your Phone | Deletes from Backup | Deletes from Recipients’ Phones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delete Chat in App | Yes | No | No |
| Delete Existing Backup | Yes | Yes | No |