WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps with over 2 billion users worldwide. It offers convenient features like messaging, voice and video calling, group chats, status updates, etc. However, sometimes you may want to take a break from WhatsApp without losing your chat history and account information. Deactivating your WhatsApp account temporarily allows you to do just that.
Why deactivate WhatsApp account temporarily?
Here are some common reasons for wanting to deactivate your WhatsApp account temporarily:
- Take a break from constant notifications and distractions
- Avoid wasting time on unimportant chats and groups
- Focus on important tasks without interruptions
- Save phone battery and storage space
- Maintain privacy for a while
Deactivating your account lets you take a break from WhatsApp while preserving your data. Your contacts won’t be able to see your last seen, profile picture, or status updates while your account is deactivated. You can reactive your account later to resume using WhatsApp normally.
How to deactivate WhatsApp account temporarily?
Deactivating your WhatsApp account is simple and easy. Here are the steps to do it on both Android and iOS devices:
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the More options (3 vertical dots) icon.
- Go to Settings > Account > Deactivate account.
- You will see a confirmation prompt. Tap on Deactivate to confirm.
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap on Account > Deactivate Account.
- Confirm deactivation by tapping on Deactivate when prompted.
That’s it! Your WhatsApp account will now be deactivated. Your contacts will no longer see your last seen or status. You will stop receiving any messages or notifications from the app.
What happens when you deactivate WhatsApp account?
Here are the key things that take place when you deactivate your WhatsApp account temporarily:
- You will be logged out of WhatsApp on your device.
- Your contacts will no longer see your last seen, profile photo, or status updates.
- You will stop receiving messages, calls, notifications from WhatsApp.
- Your chat history, groups, and media will be preserved.
- Your account remains intact and can be reactivated later with all data intact.
So in essence, deactivating your account makes your account dormant. You can still reactive it and resume using WhatsApp as before. Your data is not deleted or lost while deactivated.
How long does WhatsApp account deactivation last?
WhatsApp keeps deactivated accounts for up to 120 days. This means you can reactive your account anytime within 120 days and your data will be intact.
If your WhatsApp account remains deactivated for over 120 days, it is permanently deleted along with your entire chat history and data. You will have to sign up again if you wish to start using WhatsApp after this period.
Therefore, if you want to take a short 1-2 week break from WhatsApp, deactivation is a good option. But if you intend to stop using WhatsApp for several months, consider deleting your account instead.
Can you use WhatsApp without activating account?
No, you cannot use WhatsApp features while your account is deactivated. Since deactivation logs you out, you will be unable to:
- Send or receive messages
- Make voice or video calls
- See contacts’ last seen, profile picture, status
- Receive any notifications from WhatsApp
Your account needs to be activated first for you to access any WhatsApp services. Deactivation puts your account in a dormant state temporarily.
How to reactivate WhatsApp after deactivating account?
Reactivating your WhatsApp account is quick and simple. Just open WhatsApp on your device and verify your phone number again. WhatsApp will send a 6-digit confirmation code via SMS which you need to enter to reactive your account.
Follow these steps to reactive WhatsApp after deactivation:
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp on your device.
- Enter your phone number when prompted.
- Enter the 6-digit confirmation code sent via SMS.
- Your WhatsApp account will be reactivated with your data intact.
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on Use Existing Account.
- Verify your phone number.
- Enter the confirmation code auto-received through SMS.
- You will be logged back into your WhatsApp account.
Once your account is verified and activated, you can start using WhatsApp normally again. All your chats, groups, media will be restored.
Can you recover deleted WhatsApp account?
No, it is not possible to recover a WhatsApp account after it has been permanently deleted. WhatsApp deletes all your data after your account has been deactivated for 120 days. There is no way to restore it after that.
However, if your account was temporarily deactivated, you can still recover it within 120 days as mentioned above. But once the 120 day period lapses, permanent deletion occurs and recovery becomes impossible.
Should you uninstall WhatsApp after deactivating account?
No need to uninstall the WhatsApp app after deactivating your account. The deactivation process itself logs you out and prevents access to your account. Uninstalling the app will not provide any additional protection to your account.
In fact, keeping WhatsApp installed makes it easier to reactive your account later. You won’t have to reinstall WhatsApp and verify your number again. You can simply login to reactive your account if the app is still there on your device.
Conclusion
Deactivating your WhatsApp account provides an easy way to temporarily take a break from using the messaging app. It is handy when you want to maintain your privacy, avoid distractions, or free up storage space temporarily. Your data remains intact for 120 days, giving you plenty of time to reactive your account.
Just remember to reactive your account within 120 days. After this period, permanent deletion occurs and your account cannot be recovered. As long as you reactive within 120 days, deactivation is a useful feature to temporarily stay away from WhatsApp without losing your chat history and account details.