WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. However, many WhatsApp accounts also go inactive or are deleted by users over time. So what exactly happens when a WhatsApp account becomes inactive?
What constitutes an inactive WhatsApp account?
A WhatsApp account is considered inactive if the user does not open the app and connect to the WhatsApp servers for 120 consecutive days (4 months). This time frame was increased by WhatsApp from 90 days to 120 days in 2019.
Some key points about inactive WhatsApp accounts:
- The 120 days countdown begins from the last time the user launched WhatsApp and it connected to the servers.
- Even if the user still has WhatsApp installed on their device but does not launch it, the account will become inactive.
- If the user deletes the WhatsApp app from their device but creates a backup, it does not reset the inactivity countdown.
- Uninstalling and reinstalling the app resets the 120 days timer.
- Accessing WhatsApp Web alone does not stop an account from becoming inactive on mobile.
So in summary, any WhatsApp account on which the mobile app has not been launched and connected to the servers for 120 consecutive days is classified as an inactive account.
Effects of an inactive account
Once an account becomes inactive, the user will no longer be able to fully access and use WhatsApp on that phone number. Here are some key effects:
- The user will no longer be able to send or receive messages and calls on WhatsApp.
- Their profile photo, last seen, online and status information will no longer be visible to their contacts.
- They will be marked as “inactive” to any groups they are still members of.
- If someone sends a message to their number, it will not get delivered and remain pending forever.
However, even with an inactive account, some data and capabilities still remain:
- The user’s chat history is retained.
- Their account remains on WhatsApp’s databases.
- Their contacts will still have their number saved.
- If they re-verify their number, the account can be fully restored.
What happens after prolonged inactivity?
WhatsApp does not immediately delete accounts that have turned inactive. Some additional effects take place based on how long the account has been inactive:
- After 120 days of inactivity: Account becomes inactive and user cannot use WhatsApp until they reverify their number.
- After 1 year of inactivity: The inactive account is considered “unlinked” from the user’s phone number. However, it still exists in WhatsApp’s database.
- After 2 years of inactivity: WhatsApp deletes the account from its servers and databases. All chat history and data associated with that account is erased.
Therefore, while an inactive WhatsApp account lingers for up to 2 years after last usage, the user essentially loses access after just 120 days of inactivity already.
How to restore an inactive WhatsApp account
If a user’s WhatsApp account has become inactive, they can easily restore it and regain access to their messages and chats by following these steps:
- Uninstall WhatsApp and install it again from the app store on the device.
- When prompted, enter your phone number to send a verification code.
- WhatsApp will recognize your number and send a 6-digit verification code via SMS.
- Enter the code to verify your number again.
- Once verified, your old chats and data will automatically restore.
This process will require verifying your phone number again through an SMS code. As long as your number remains the same, you can restore your inactive WhatsApp account and all associated data with just your phone number.
What happens when you delete your WhatsApp account?
Instead of just letting their WhatsApp remain inactive, some users may actively choose to delete their WhatsApp account entirely. Here is what happens when a user deletes their own WhatsApp account:
- The user’s WhatsApp profile is removed from the contact lists of all groups and individual chats they were a part of.
- Their chat history and messages are deleted from WhatsApp servers after 30 days.
- Within 45 days of deletion, all backup and log records associated with the account are deleted by WhatsApp.
- The user’s phone number becomes eligible to be registered on WhatsApp again after 45 days.
So in essence, deleting your WhatsApp deletes all your data from their servers and removes your account from the app ecosystem after 45 days. You can reuse your number after this period.
What happens if you delete and reinstall WhatsApp?
A common misconception is that deleting and reinstalling the WhatsApp app also deletes the account. In reality:
- When you delete WhatsApp from your device but don’t use the in-app delete my account option, your account remains intact on WhatsApp’s servers.
- Reinstalling WhatsApp will restore your account with your chat history, groups, profile picture etc.
- However, any media like photos or videos not saved on your device storage will be gone if you don’t have backups.
- Uninstalling and reinstalling essentially only removes WhatsApp locally from your device, not your actual account.
So your account and data is still recoverable when you reinstall as long as you use the same phone number. Only the in-app delete account option actually removes your WhatsApp account fully.
If someone else uses my old number, can they access my WhatsApp account?
A common concern is if someone else takes over your old phone number, could they also access your WhatsApp data and account? Fortunately, this is not possible due to WhatsApp’s security:
- When a number is recycled and given to a new user, they cannot simply verify it and gain access to the previous user’s WhatsApp.
- Even after 45 days of inactivity, the account is not automatically deleted or linked to a new number.
- The new user will have to register the number as a new account, with no access to previous chat history.
- Only if the original account holder verifies the number again will the account be restored.
Therefore, there are checks in place to prevent a new user from being able to access your WhatsApp data if they happen to recycle your old phone number. The account stays in WhatsApp’s database irrespective of the number’s usage.
Can you retrieve and backup data from an inactive account?
Since WhatsApp retains your chat history and data even after inactivity, it is possible to retrieve and backup your data when restoring an inactive account by following these steps:
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp, entering your number when prompted to send a verification code.
- Once your account is restored, go into WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
- Tap Back Up to create a new backup of your chat history onto Google Drive or iCloud.
- You can also export chat history to email or use third-party apps to export and save chat data.
As long as your WhatsApp account has not been deleted from their servers, you can access chat history, media, and information from an inactive account up to 2 years later in most cases.
Does WhatsApp notify you if your account is inactive?
WhatsApp does not directly notify or warn users if their account is at risk of becoming inactive after prolonged non-usage. Some key points:
- There are no reminders, prompts or messages when your account approaches inactive status.
- You only realize your account is inactive when you try to launch WhatsApp after 120 days and find yourself locked out.
- Others trying to message you when inactive will see their messages remain undelivered.
- For accounts deleted voluntarily, WhatsApp does confirm the account deletion after it completes.
Overall, WhatsApp provides no alerts about upcoming inactivity or deletion. Users have to keep their own track of when they last used the app to avoid accounts becoming inactive unexpectedly.
Can businesses and organizations have inactive WhatsApp accounts?
WhatsApp business accounts function a little differently compared to regular personal accounts when it comes to activity and inactivity:
- Businesses can link WhatsApp business accounts across up to 4 devices simultaneously.
- As long as any one linked device retains activity, the account remains active.
- Utilizing WhatsApp Business API also keeps business accounts active even without the app.
- Business accounts may also have longer inactivity thresholds before deletion.
So generally, well-configured WhatsApp business accounts have greater leniency for inactivity before being disabled or deleted. Multiple linked devices help ensure 24/7 availability.
Conclusion
To conclude, here are some key points to remember about inactive and deleted WhatsApp accounts:
- Accounts become inactive after 120 days without usage, but data remains retrievable.
- Deleting an account erases data after 45 days and removes the account from WhatsApp.
- Uninstalling WhatsApp does not delete your account or chat history.
- Recycled numbers don’t give new users access to old accounts.
- Businesses have more flexibility to maintain active WhatsApp accounts.
- There are no notifications from WhatsApp when accounts become inactive.
Ensuring regular usage of WhatsApp if you want to retain your account and data is advisable. Set reminders if you think you may not use it actively for weeks at a time. WhatsApp retains inactive account data for long periods, but it’s better to avoid losing access to your account unknowingly by staying active.