You can delete a message you sent in two ways: before the recipient reads it, or after

WhatsApp gives you two deletion options. Delete for Me removes the message from your phone only — the other person still sees it. Delete for Everyone removes it from both your phone and theirs, but only if you delete it within a certain window. On most phones, you have roughly one hour to delete for everyone before the option disappears. After that, Delete for Me is your only choice.

The exact time limit varies slightly by phone type and WhatsApp version, but the one-hour window is the practical rule to follow. If you wait longer, the recipient will have already seen the message, and you cannot unsend it.

Key Takeaways

  • Delete for Everyone removes a message from both phones, but only works within about one hour of sending.
  • Delete for Me removes it from your phone only, and works at any time after you send the message.
  • Once you delete a message for everyone, the recipient sees a notification that you deleted it — they do not see the content, but they know something was there.
  • Deleting a message does not erase it from WhatsApp backups on Google Drive or iCloud, so deleted messages can sometimes be recovered if you restore from backup.

How to delete a message on Android

Open the chat containing the message. Press and hold the message until it highlights in a light color. A menu appears at the top of the screen with several options. Tap the trash can icon or the word "Delete" — the exact icon depends on your phone model and WhatsApp version.

A popup asks whether you want to delete for yourself or for everyone. Choose the option you want. If you choose Delete for Everyone and the time window has passed, that option will be grayed out, and only Delete for Me will be available.

How to delete a message on iPhone

Open the chat with the message you want to remove. Swipe left on the message — a red trash can icon appears on the right side. Tap it. A popup asks whether you want to delete for yourself or for everyone. Choose the option you need.

If the one-hour window has closed, the Delete for Everyone button will not appear, and you can only delete for yourself. You can also long-press the message instead of swiping, which brings up a menu with the same delete options.

What happens when you delete for everyone

The message disappears from both your chat and the recipient's chat. In its place, they see a small line of text saying "This message was deleted" or similar wording, depending on their WhatsApp version. They do not see what the message said, but they know you deleted something.

If the recipient had already taken a screenshot of the message before you deleted it, the screenshot still exists on their phone — deleting the message does not remove images they have saved. The same is true if they forwarded the message to someone else before you deleted it.

What happens when you delete for yourself only

The message vanishes from your phone, but the recipient continues to see it in their chat as if nothing happened. They have no notification that you deleted it on your end. This option is useful if you want to clean up your own chat history without the other person knowing you sent something you regret.

Deleting for yourself does not affect group chats any differently — the message still appears for everyone else in the group, and they see no sign that you deleted it from your own view.

Deleting messages in group chats

The process is identical to one-on-one chats. Press and hold (or swipe on iPhone) the message and choose your deletion option. When you delete for everyone in a group, all members see the "This message was deleted" notification. You cannot delete other people's messages in a group — you can only delete your own.

If you want to remove a message someone else sent, your only option is to mute the chat or leave the group. Some group admins have settings that let them delete any message, but regular members cannot.

Why deleted messages sometimes come back

WhatsApp automatically backs up your chats to Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iPhone). When you delete a message, it disappears from the app, but the backup may still contain it. If you later restore WhatsApp from a backup — for example, after reinstalling the app or switching phones — deleted messages can reappear.

To prevent this, you can turn off automatic backups in WhatsApp settings before deleting sensitive messages. On Android, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and turn off "Back up to Google Drive." On iPhone, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and turn off "iCloud Backup." Keep in mind that this also stops backing up new messages until you turn it back on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a message after more than one hour?

No, the Delete for Everyone option disappears after roughly one hour. After that, you can only delete for yourself, which removes it from your phone but leaves it visible to the recipient. The exact time limit depends on your phone type and WhatsApp version, but one hour is the practical limit to plan for.

Does the person know what message I deleted?

They see a notification that you deleted a message, but not the content of what you deleted. In a one-on-one chat, they see "This message was deleted." In a group, all members see the same notification. If they took a screenshot before you deleted it, they still have the image.

Can I delete messages from someone else's phone?

No, you can only delete messages you sent yourself. You cannot delete messages other people sent to you, and you cannot delete messages other people sent in a group chat unless you are a group admin with special permissions enabled.

What if I delete a message but the person already read it?

If they read it before you deleted it, the Delete for Everyone option still works — the message will disappear from their chat and show as deleted. However, they already saw the content, so deleting it does not undo that they read it.

Do deleted messages stay in my backup?

Yes, deleted messages can remain in your Google Drive or iCloud backup. If you restore WhatsApp from that backup later, the deleted messages may reappear. To prevent this, turn off automatic backups before deleting sensitive messages, or manually delete the backup file from your cloud storage.