WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features of WhatsApp is voice and video calling, allowing you to easily connect with friends and family.
However, you may want to automatically delete your WhatsApp call history for privacy reasons or to free up storage space on your phone. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through the steps to automatically delete WhatsApp call history on both iPhone and Android.
Why You May Want to Auto Delete WhatsApp Call History
Here are some common reasons you may want to enable auto-delete for WhatsApp call history:
- Privacy – Deleting your call history regularly ensures that old calls are not stored on your device indefinitely. This prevents other people from snooping through your call log if they access your phone.
- Save storage space – WhatsApp call history, especially video calls, can take up a considerable amount of storage space on your phone over time. Automating the deletion can free up storage space.
- Reduce clutter – Automatically removing old calls keeps your WhatsApp tidy and clutter-free for easier navigation.
- Comply with legal requirements – Some countries have laws on maximum data retention periods for telco and OTT service providers. Automating deletion of call logs assists in compliance.
How to Auto Delete Call History on iPhone
Here are the steps to set up auto-delete for WhatsApp call history on your iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on ‘Settings’ in the bottom right (the gear icon).
- Tap on ‘Chats’.
- Tap on ‘Keep Calls’.
- Select the desired duration – 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, or ‘Always’.
This will automatically delete any WhatsApp call history older than the selected duration. The default setting is to keep calls for 1 year.
That’s it! WhatsApp will now regularly clear out your call history based on the auto-delete setting.
Customizing Auto-Delete Frequency
While you can select the duration for keeping calls, the auto-delete frequency itself cannot be changed on iOS. WhatsApp runs the auto-delete process once every few months.
Excluding Important Calls
If you want to exclude specific important calls from auto-deletion, simply star or favorite those individual calls. WhatsApp will not delete starred calls even after the auto-delete duration.
How to Auto Delete Call History on Android
Here are the steps to configure auto-delete for WhatsApp calls on your Android phone:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the 3-dot menu in the top right.
- Go to ‘Settings’.
- Tap on ‘Chats’.
- Tap on ‘Calls’.
- Select the desired duration to retain calls – 3 months, 1 year, or ‘Always’.
This will ensure calls older than the chosen duration are regularly deleted. The default is to keep calls for 1 year.
Customizing Auto-Delete Frequency
In Android, you have more flexibility to customize the auto-delete frequency for call history:
- In WhatsApp ‘Chats’ settings, tap ‘Retention period’.
- Tap ‘Auto-delete calls’.
- Select the desired frequency – every week, month, or year.
Excluding Important Calls
To stop certain calls from being auto-deleted in Android, long press on the individual call and select ‘Lock’. This will exclude it from deletion.
Third-Party Apps for Deleted WhatsApp Calls
While WhatsApp’s built-in settings are useful, you can also use third-party apps for more flexibility in auto-deleting call history. Some popular options:
1. WAMR
WAMR (WhatsApp Manager) is a free Android app with over 100 million installs. It provides granular control over auto-deleting specific data like calls, chats, media etc.
Key features:
- Set custom auto-delete frequency – daily, weekly, monthly etc.
- Selectively delete calls, chats, photos, videos, documents etc.
- Schedule regular backups.
- Restore deleted WhatsApp data.
2. iMyFone iBypasser – iPhone
iMyFone iBypasser is a WhatsApp management tool for iOS. Pricing starts from $29.95 for a 1-year license. Features include:
- Scheduled deletion of WhatsApp call history.
- Granular selection of data types to delete.
- Flexible custom frequency – daily, weekly etc.
- Selectively delete for individual WhatsApp accounts.
- Retrieval of deleted WhatsApp call history.
3. WhatsAutoDelete – Android
WhatsAutoDelete is a free Android app with over 5 million downloads. It provides automatic deletion of WhatsApp data based on custom criteria:
- Set age limit for deleting calls – e.g. delete calls older than 30 days.
- Option to retain starred/important calls and chats.
- Configure WhatsApp media settings like auto-download.
- Schedule regular WhatsApp backups.
How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Calls
While enabling auto-delete provides privacy and saves storage space, you may need to retrieve deleted WhatsApp call history in some cases. Here are some options for recovering deleted WhatsApp calls:
1. Restore from Local Backup
WhatsApp takes regular local backups on Android and iOS devices. You can restore deleted calls from a recent local backup:
- iOS – Go to iPhone Settings > WhatsApp > Chat Backup >Restore. This will overwrite current WhatsApp data with the backup.
- Android – Uninstall WhatsApp > Reinstall and verify phone number > On restore prompt, select ‘Restore’ to retrieve backup.
2. Cloud Backup Restore
If you have Google Drive or iCloud backups enabled, you may be able to restore deleted WhatsApp call history from the cloud:
- iOS – Tap ‘Restore Backup’ in iCloud and select the backup date to restore.
- Android – Uninstall WhatsApp > Reinstall > Tap ‘Restore’ from Google Drive backup.
3. Use Data Recovery Software
If local and cloud backups are not available, you can use data recovery software to retrieve deleted WhatsApp calls. Some options:
- Android – Dr.Fone, EaseUS MobiSaver, Syncios.
- iPhone – Dr.Fone, EaseUS MobiSaver, iMyFone iBypasser.
These tools scan your phone’s storage for residual data from deleted WhatsApp calls and retrieve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a limit on how many WhatsApp calls can be stored?
There is no set limit on the number of WhatsApp calls that can be stored on your device. It depends on the storage capacity of your phone. Hundreds or even thousands of calls can potentially be stored depending on call duration and storage available.
Can I recover deleted calls after enabling auto-delete?
It is possible to recover deleted WhatsApp calls within a few days after auto-delete, provided you have a recent local/cloud backup. After around 30 days, permanent data erasure makes it difficult to recover deleted calls.
Will starred/important calls be auto-deleted?
Starred or favorite calls are excluded from WhatsApp’s auto-delete feature, even if the retention period has passed. Locking calls in Android also prevents auto-deletion.
Can I selectively auto-delete calls from specific contacts?
WhatsApp’s native auto-delete feature does not allow selectively deleting calls from particular contacts. However, third-party apps like WAMR and iMyFone iBypasser provide this flexibility.
Do group calls also get auto-deleted?
Yes, the auto-delete settings apply to both individual and group voice/video calls in WhatsApp. All calls older than the retention period will be automatically removed.
Conclusion
Automatically deleting old WhatsApp calls is a great way to enhance privacy, save storage space, and reduce clutter in your chat app. Both iOS and Android provide auto-delete options, with iOS allowing duration-based deletion while Android additionally enables custom frequency selection.
Third-party tools like WAMR, iMyFone, and WhatsAutoDelete give you more advanced flexibility like selective deletion and custom schedules. However, you need to be cautious about irrecoverable data loss with aggressive auto-deleting. Ensure you have recent backups in case you need to restore deleted WhatsApp call history.
Set up auto-delete thoughtfully based on your specific needs. Refer to this guide anytime you need a refresher on how to configure auto-delete for WhatsApp calls on your iPhone or Android device.
What are your thoughts on auto-deleting WhatsApp call history? Let me know in the comments below!
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