How to See Deleted Messages on WhatsApp: Whatsapp Messenger is the most popular cross-platform instant messaging app owned by Facebook. It allows users to send text messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other media to different users.
One of the stellar features that Whatsapp introduced back in 2017 is a ‘Delete for everyone’ option that lets users delete messages they had sent to an individual or in a group chat. WhatsApp gives the user about 68 minutes to erase a sent message.
Now, suppose someone sent you a message on Whatsapp, but the sender decided to delete it. When the sender deletes the message, you will see a note in the chat bubble saying “This message was deleted”. But here’s the twist, the message is still stored on your device and is recoverable using the WhatsApp backup feature.
If you are on the receiving end and curious about the deleted message, we have compiled a step-by-step guide on how you can see deleted messages on WhatsApp. Just follow the steps below.
How to See Deleted Messages on WhatsApp
- Enable chat backup
- Restore WhatsApp chats via backup
Enable Chat Backup
To see a deleted message on WhatsApp, first of all, make sure that you have WhatsApp’s Chat backup feature enabled. If you don’t know how to check it, just follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your Android/iOS device.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
Here, you can set up the auto-backup frequency of your chat between ‘Daily, Weekly, and Monthly’. You can also tap ‘Back Up Now’ for a manual backup. If you have selected Daily, Whatsapp backs up all of your messages at 2 AM every midnight.
If you are an Android user, select your preferred Google account where you want to store the backup. If you are an iPhone user, select your iCloud account to store the backup.
Restore WhatsApp chats via backup
There’s a chance that the deleted message was backed up to your Google/ iCloud account. For example, the message was sent before the daily backup process and deleted after the backup was done. So, you can still recover the deleted message from the backup. For this, you need to reinstall WhatsApp on your device. Here’s how to do it:
- First, uninstall WhatsApp from your Android/iOS device.
- After uninstalling the app, go to Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS), search ‘Whatsapp’ and reinstall the app.
- Set up WhatsApp by following the on-screen instructions. You have to use the same phone number that you previously used.
- Once you are done setting up WhatsApp, you will get a prompt, asking if you want to restore messages from a cloud backup. On Android, you have to select your Google account. On iOS, select your iCloud account.
- Finally, tap Restore.
This will restore the sender’s message as if it was never removed, alongside your existing chat history. Though it should be noted that there’s no way you can recover a message if it was deleted before the backup process.
Alternatives to See Deleted Messages on WhatsApp
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of backing up chat, then uninstalling WhatsApp and reinstalling it, some third-party options give you the ability to read deleted WhatsApp messages.
WhatsRemoved+ for Android is one of the best options that you can use to see deleted messages on WhatsApp. It monitors your WhatsApp notifications and copies messages before getting deleted. (This app is not available for iPhone users.)
The developer claims that this app doesn’t violate WhatsApp’s terms of services and also doesn’t send your information to external servers. So, it’s free and completely safe to use.
To see a deleted WhatsApp messages using WhatsRemoved+, follow these steps:
- Install WhatsRemoved+ from Google Play Store.
- After that, launch the app and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Tap on ‘Detect deleted messages and their files (Recommended)’.
- A dialog box will pop up, tap on Allow to grant WhatsRemoved+ access photos, media, and files on your device.
- After granting the app permission to access your files, a ‘Notification Listener Service’ dialog box will show up. Tap Yes to continue.
- You will be redirected to the Notification Access settings menu. Tap on ‘Read notifications data’, then tap Allow to complete the setup process.
WhatsRemoved+ works in the background and monitors incoming WhatsApp messages. When a sender deletes a sent message, the app will notify you about it and gives you the option to preview it straight from the notification bar. The app can also recover deleted media files but it’s still an experimental feature. You have to open the app to view deleted media files. This is how you can see deleted messages on whatsapp.
For the latest tech news and updates, Install TechnoCodex App and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Also, if you like our efforts, consider sharing this story with your friends, this will encourage us to bring more exciting updates for you.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
