Earlier, if you sent a wrong message on WhatsApp, there was no way to undo it. Fortunately, things changed when WhatsApp introduced the Delete for Everyone feature. But it also gives us trouble at times. Many times, the option goes missing or it doesn’t work. Did you send a wrong message in WhatsApp to someone, and now you can’t find the Delete for Everyone option? Wondering why? Let’s find the answer in this post where we tell you why you can’t delete WhatsApp messages for everyone.
Since Delete for Everyone is a special feature, it doesn’t work all the time. The feature has to meet certain requirements for proper functioning. So if you can’t see the Delete for Everyone button on your messages or it didn’t work when you used it, there are several reasons for that. Let’s check them out.
1. Time Limit for Deleting WhatsApp Messages
Unlike the normal delete that works all the time, even after 3 months or so, there is a time limit in using Delete for everyone. You can unsend messages within 2 days of sending them only. After that, you will not see the Delete for Everyone option. So, if it’s missing when you press the Delete icon, you might be trying to delete it after two days of sending a message.
Tip: Know how to delete a message on WhatsApp without opening it.
2. Works for Sent Messages Only
The Delete for Everyone feature works for the sent messages only in personal chats. Meaning, you can only unsend messages that you have sent and not the ones that you receive, unless it’s a group.
3. Only Group Admin Can Use Delete for Everyone
If you are a group admin and someone sends an inappropriate message in the group, you can delete that message using the Delete for Everyone feature. The message will be deleted from all the group participant’s phones. That’s one of the powers of WhatsApp admins.
This feature is only limited to the group admin. So if you are trying to delete someone else’s messages in a group if you are not the group admin, you will not see the Delete for everyone option. You will only see it for your own sent messages.
Also Read: Know how to mute WhatsApp groups forever.
4. Doesn’t Work for Quoted Texts
Strangely, Delete for Everyone doesn’t work for quoted texts. Picture this — you send a message, and someone sends a response quoting that message. Now, if you unsend the original message that you sent, technically, your quoted message should also get deleted. But that doesn’t happen. Only the message that you sent will be removed, and the quoted message will stay.
So if you tried using the Delete for Everyone feature and you wondered how the quoted message didn’t disappear, we hope you have found your answer. Fortunately, if you delete the message first and later someone quotes it, then the text will not be visible.
5. Participants Should be Using the Latest Version of WhatsApp
Both you and the recipient must be using the latest versions of WhatsApp, i.e., the versions that support the Delete for Everyone feature. If any one of you is using an old version that didn’t support it, this feature will not work. In case you don’t see the Delete for Everyone option, you should update your WhatsApp. Open the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone) and search for WhatsApp. Press the Update button.
Also Read: Learn how to check if apps need an update.
6. Use the Same Device to Delete Messages
Generally, the Delete for Everyone option will show up from linked devices as well. That is if you send a message from WhatsApp on Android, you can use the Delete for Everyone feature on the same message from your computer. But if that’s not happening in a rare situation, i.e., Delete for everyone option is missing, then you should use the same device that you used for sending the message to delete the message.
7. WhatsApp Pictures on iPhone Are Not Getting Deleted
The restricted nature of the Apple ecosystem often pinches the users. The iPhone owners experience such restrictions specifically when it comes to deleting WhatsApp messages. That is, Delete for everyone doesn’t delete WhatsApp media files from iPhone.
Basically, when you receive a photo or video in WhatsApp on your iPhone, it’s not directly saved to your phone. Even if you download to view it, the media stays on the WhatsApp servers unless you manually press the Save button, or you have the ‘Save to Camera Roll’ setting enabled in WhatsApp.
Now, when someone sends you a WhatsApp photo on your iPhone, and you have the Save to Camera Roll feature enabled or you save it manually, then if they unsend it, the photo will not be removed from your iPhone. That is, the photo will only be deleted from WhatsApp and not from your iPhone. You can still access it via the Photos app. However, it will not show up in WhatsApp.
But if the iPhone user didn’t save the received media or doesn’t have the Save to Camera Roll setting enabled, then you are safe. Because in such a case, the media will be removed completely, leaving no traces.
On Android, things are different. When you download a photo or video from WhatsApp or you have auto-download turned on, the files will get saved automatically to your Android phone. Now, if someone sends you a photo and you download it (before they delete it) or it is downloaded automatically, and then the sender decides to delete the photo, then such a photo will be removed both from your WhatsApp and Android phone. So Delete for everyone works for media files as well on Android.
Tip: Know where does WhatsApp save its media files like photos and other files.
FAQs
If you delete a message on WhatsApp, you get two options — Delete for me and Delete for everyone. The first one is your regular delete button which will only delete the message on your phone. Hence, the name Delete for me. It will not unsend or delete messages from the recipient’s phone. On the other hand, the Delete for everyone will magically delete the message from your own and the recipient’s phone. It works in personal and group conversations.
When you press the Delete for everyone button, the message gets deleted instantly from all the phones that had it. No confirmation box will appear. So be careful when you use it.
Once you delete it, you will not get a notification whether the message was deleted successfully or not. Instead, the message will be replaced by deleted text. While the sender will see the text ‘You deleted this message’, the recipient will see ‘This message was deleted’ at the place of the deleted message
No. Clearing chat will only remove WhatsApp messages on your phone. It will not have any impact on the messages on the receiver’s phone.
That depends. If the person has already seen your message, then deleting it will only remove it from their phone and not the person’s memory. However, if they haven’t seen it, there are tricks to view the deleted message on WhatsApp.
If you accidentally used the Delete for me button, you will see an Undo message for 5 seconds. Tap on it to restore the message. Then use the Delete for Everyone button.
Read Messages Stealthily
Hope you have found the answer to your question of why you can’t delete WhatsApp messages for everyone. Before you go, know how to read WhatsApp messages without the sender knowing.
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Last updated on 12 February, 2024
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