WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more through one-on-one and group texting, voice notes, video calls, and more.
With so much messaging activity happening on WhatsApp, your chat history can quickly become cluttered with obsolete conversations. You may wish to delete an entire chat thread to clear out old messages and media. But how do you delete a chat for both people, removing the conversation from each participant’s app?
There are a couple ways to delete an entire WhatsApp chat for both the sender and recipient. This gives you a clean slate and erases the chat history from both accounts. Below we’ll explain the methods to fully delete a WhatsApp conversation on an iPhone or Android device.
Delete WhatsApp Chat for Both on iPhone
If you and the other person in the chat both use iPhones, here is how to delete the entire WhatsApp conversation from both devices:
Open the Chat
First, open WhatsApp and go to the chat you want to delete. At the top, tap on the contact’s name to open their contact info.
Scroll Down and Tap “Delete Chat”
Next, scroll down on the contact info page and tap “Delete Chat” at the bottom. This will bring up delete confirmation options.
Select “Delete Chat for Both”
You’ll then be presented with two delete options:
– Delete for Me: Only deletes the chat from your device.
– Delete Chat for Both: Deletes the entire chat history from yours and the recipient’s phones.
Tap “Delete Chat for Both” to fully remove the conversation.
Confirm Deletion
A popup will ask you to confirm deletion of the chat for both parties. Tap “Delete” to complete the process.
The chat will then be erased from both your and the other person’s WhatsApp account. All messages, media, and call history shared in that conversation will be permanently deleted.
So in summary, the steps to delete a WhatsApp chat for both iPhone users are:
1. Open the chat you want to delete
2. Tap the contact’s name
3. Scroll down and tap “Delete Chat”
4. Select “Delete Chat for Both”
5. Confirm deletion
Delete WhatsApp Chat for Both on Android
To delete a WhatsApp conversation from both Android devices, the process is very similar:
Open the Chat
Open WhatsApp and access the chat you want to delete. Tap the menu button (3 vertical dots) at the top right.
Tap “More” > “Delete Chat”
From the menu, tap “More” then “Delete chat”. This opens the delete confirmation options.
Select “Delete for Both”
Choose “Delete for both” to delete the chat history from yours and the other person’s Android devices.
Confirm Deletion
A popup will request confirmation to delete the chat for both of you. Tap “Delete” to confirm.
The WhatsApp conversation will then be erased from both devices. All previous messages, calls, photos, videos, and files will be removed.
In summary, the Android steps are:
1. Open the chat you want to delete
2. Tap the menu button (3 dots)
3. Tap “More” > “Delete chat”
4. Select “Delete for both”
5. Confirm deletion
So on both iPhone and Android, you follow similar steps to access the “Delete chat for both” option and fully erase the WhatsApp conversation from each person’s device.
Other Ways to Delete a Chat
While the above methods will delete a WhatsApp chat for both people, you have other options too:
Delete for Me
– As mentioned above, you can choose “Delete for me” when deleting a chat. This erases the conversation only from your phone, while the other person retains it on their device.
Clear Chat History
– Instead of deleting the entire chat, you can “Clear chat history” to erase only the messages. This retains the chat thread without any previous conversations.
Delete Single Messages
– For finer control, you can delete individual messages in a chat by long-pressing on that message and tapping “Delete”. Other messages remain intact.
Back Up Chat Before Deleting
– Note that deleting a chat permanently erases the conversation. If you want a record of the chat, make sure to back up your WhatsApp messages to iCloud or Google Drive before deleting.
Why Delete WhatsApp Chats?
Here are some common reasons you may want to delete WhatsApp chats:
Clear Clutter
– Over time, old chats you no longer need can clutter your inbox. Deleting conversations helps keep WhatsApp organized.
Free Up Space
– Large media files like photos and videos can take up storage space. Deleting chats removes this media and frees up room on your phone.
Maintain Privacy
– You may have sent private, personal, or confidential information in a chat. Erasing the chat protects this sensitive data.
Remove Contacts
– If you no longer talk to someone, deleting your chat with them also removes them from your contacts list.
Fix Chat Issues
– Sometimes deleting and restarting a chat can resolve bugs or display issues you may encounter.
So in summary, reasons to delete WhatsApp chats include:
– Clearing clutter
– Freeing up space
– Maintaining privacy
– Removing contacts
– Fixing chat issues
It’s a good idea to periodically clear out old or unneeded conversations to keep your WhatsApp tidy and optimized.
Important Things to Know When Deleting Chats
Here are some key points to be aware of when deleting WhatsApp chats:
Deletion is Permanent
– Once a chat is deleted, the messages and media are gone for good. Make sure to back up anything you want to keep first.
Both Parties Need to Delete
– To fully delete a chat from all devices, both people need to delete the conversation from their own phones.
Delete Media to Free Space
– Media like photos and videos take up the most space. Make sure to delete them when clearing chats.
Don’t Delete Work Chats
– Be careful not to delete important work conversations that you may later need for reference.
Chats Can Be Restored from Backup
– If you change your mind, chats can be restored from a previous iCloud or Google Drive backup.
Turn Off Auto-Download to Save Space
– Stop media from downloading automatically to avoid filling up storage from large chats.
So in summary, key points when deleting WhatsApp chats include:
– Deletion is permanent
– Requires both parties to delete
– Focus on deleting media
– Don’t delete important conversations
– Can restore from backup
– Turn off auto-download
How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Chats
If you regret deleting a chat, there are ways to try and recover it:
Restore from Google Drive or iCloud Backup
The easiest way is restoring your WhatsApp backup from the cloud. Chats deleted in the past 30 days can often be retrieved this way.
Use Data Recovery Apps (iOS)
For iOS, apps like iMyFone iBypasser, Fonepaw iPhone Data Recovery, or EaseUS MobiSaver can sometimes recover deleted WhatsApp data.
Retrieve from Local Backup (Android)
On Android you can use tools like Dr.Fone to pull deleted WhatsApp chats from a local backup file stored on the device.
Request the Chat History from the Other Person
If all else fails, you can ask the other person in the chat to send you the message history again after readding them.
Conclusion
Deleting WhatsApp chats for both you and the recipient is straightforward on both iPhone and Android. By tapping into the chat settings, you can select “Delete chat for both” to permanently erase the conversation from each person’s device.
Reasons to delete WhatsApp chats include clearing clutter, freeing space, maintaining privacy, removing contacts, and fixing issues. Just be sure to back up important info you want to keep, as deletion is permanent. And with the proper backups, you can recover deleted chats within 30 days in most cases.
| Platform | Steps to Delete WhatsApp Chat for Both |
|---|---|
| iPhone |
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| Android |
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