Whatsapp is one of the most widely used messaging apps that allows users to send and receive text messages, multimedia messages, and video and audio calls. However, there may be times when you don’t want to open and delete a message without the other person knowing. In this article, you will learn how to delete a WhatsApp message without opening it.
There are several ways to delete WhatsApp messages without reading or opening them. Whether it’s on Android or iOS, we’ve listed all the possible ways with a step-by-step process. Without further ado, let’s get started.
1. Delete all WhatsApp chat
One of the most common and easiest ways to delete an incoming WhatsApp message without opening it is to delete all chat history. This method works best because you don’t have to open the message to delete the chat.
Note: If you delete the chat, you will also lose the chats you previously had with the sender.
Step 1 Open WhatsApp app on your Android or iOS device.
Step 2: Navigate to the chat you want to delete.
Step 3: Long press on the chat and click on the trash can icon.
Note: On iOS, tap Clear Chat from the list of options.
Step 4: In the confirmation prompt, select Delete chat.
Here we go. You deleted a WhatsApp message without reading it. If you want, you can undelete messages on WhatsApp. However, if you don’t want to delete the entire chat to read one, then move on to the next method.
2. Use Airplane mode
This method is a workaround to delete an incoming WhatsApp message without opening it or the other person knowing about it. We will use Airplane mode to disable WhatsApp’s chat access to the internet for now until we delete the message. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Before starting the steps, make sure you have closed WhatsApp and the app is not running in the background.
Step 2: Now go to your phone’s settings and select “Connection & Sharing”.
Note: Go to Settings on iOS.
Step 3: Turn on Airplane mode.
Note: Turn on Airplane mode on iOS.
Step 4: Now open WhatsApp app on your phone.
Step 5: Locate the chat and tap to open the message.
Step 6: Long press on the message and tap on the trash can icon to delete the message.
Note: On iOS, long-press the message, choose Delete, and tap the trash can icon.
Step 7: Tap “Delete for me” to confirm.
Step 8: After deleting the message, close WhatsApp and make sure it is not running in the background.
Step 9: Finally, turn off Airplane mode.
Here we go. You deleted the WhatsApp message without the other person’s knowledge. Although this method is rock solid, sometimes it doesn’t work due to the processes running in the background.
Hence, you can jump to the next method to safely delete the message without reading it for such issues or errors.
3. Using disappearing messages
WhatsApp introduced the Disappearing Messages feature to provide users with an extra layer of privacy and security. Disappearing messages allow you to automatically delete messages after a specified time. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1 Open WhatsApp on your Android or iOS device.
Step 2: Navigate to the chat where you want to enable the disappearing messages feature.
Step 3: Tap on the contact name and choose Disappearing Messages.
Step 4: On the message disappearing screen, under the message timer, select your preferred period between 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days.
Note: Since you don’t want to delete the message without viewing it, it’s recommended to set the time period to 24 hours.
The messages will then be deleted after 24 hours without being opened. Also, this setting only works for future messages and not for the ones you’ve already received.
So if you don’t want to customize this setting but still want to delete a WhatsApp message without opening it, move on to the next method.
4. Disable read receipts
Disabling read receipts not only allows you to have a sense of privacy by allowing you to read the message at any time, but also prevents others from knowing if you’ve read it. Follow the steps listed below.
Note: Turning off read receipts also prevents you from knowing when others have read your messages.
On android
Step 1 Open WhatsApp on your Android device.
Step 2: Tap on the three vertical dots in the top right corner and select Settings from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: On the settings screen select Account and on the next screen select Privacy.
Step 4: Disable read receipts under Privacy.
This setting doesn’t apply to messages you’ve already received or messages you’ve already read, only messages you receive after you change this setting. So you need to delete the message and continue with the following steps.
Step 5: Find the chat and long press on the message to select it and tap on the trash can icon to delete the message.
Step 6: In the Delete this chat? field, select Delete chat.
Note: You can check the “Also delete media received in these chats from device gallery” box.
On iOS
Step 1: Open WhatsApp.
Step 2: Go to the Settings tab on the bottom navigation bar.
Step 3: Choose Privacy.
Step 4: On the Privacy screen, turn off Read Receipts.
The messages you have already received or read are not affected by this setting, only those you receive after you change them. Therefore, you must delete the message. See the next steps.
Step 5: Find the chat you want to delete, long press on it and choose Delete Chat.
Step 6: Finally, on the bottom blade, tap Delete Chat to confirm.
Here we go. You have successfully deleted a WhatsApp message without reading it. If you accidentally sent an SMS or multimedia file to someone and want to delete it, read the following section.
How to delete sent WhatsApp messages
Accidental messages can happen for a variety of reasons, and one of those reasons is typos. Well, whatever the reason, it often leads to uncomfortable or embarrassing situations. Follow the steps to avoid this.
Step 1 Open WhatsApp on your Android or iOS device.
Step 2: Open the chat where you want to delete the message.
Step 3: Long press on the message and tap on the trash can icon.
Note: On iOS, long-press the message, choose Delete, and tap the trash can icon.
Step 4: Choose “Delete for everyone”.
Here we go. You have successfully deleted the accidentally sent message. Check out the FAQ section if you have any questions that we haven’t answered above.
Frequently asked questions about deleting a WhatsApp message without opening it 1. Does deleting everyone mean they haven’t seen it?
Delete from all means the message will be deleted from both the sender’s chat window and the recipient’s chat window. However, this does not guarantee that the recipient did not see the message before it was deleted. There is no claim as to whether the other user has seen the message or notification preview.
2. What happens if you delete a message with a tick? Get rid of unwanted messages
Now that you know how to delete a WhatsApp message without opening it, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and delete the message. If you couldn’t do this, check out our guide on why you can’t delete WhatsApp messages for everyone.
