WhatsApp updates ‘Delete for Everyone’ feature

WhatsApp has updated its ‘Delete for Everyone’ feature, with respect to the time limit in which users can revoke messages.

The update gives users a window of up to 13 hours, 8 minutes and 16 seconds in which they must accept the delete request. This step appears to be in response to random delete requests for older messages.

According to experts, the ‘Recipient Limit’ change is to ensure that all members of a conversation receive the revoke request for a message within the stipulated time period, so that messages could be deleted. The revoke request should be accepted by all members of a conversation, within the 13 hours, 8 minutes and 16 seconds limit, before the ‘Delete for Everyone’ feature sets into effect.

Under the previous rules, the delete request needed to be accepted within 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds from all parties. The ‘Delete for Everyone’ feature was introduced in late last year, with a revoke message limit of 7 minutes.

Deleting messages

You can delete messages for everyone or just for yourself.

To delete messages for everyone

Deleting messages for everyone allows you to delete specific messages you have sent to either a group or an individual chat. This is particularly useful if you sent a message to the wrong chat or if the message you sent contains a mistake.

Messages you successfully delete for everyone will be replaced with "This message was deleted" in your recipients' chats (*). Similarly, if you see "This message was deleted" in a chat, it means that the sender deleted their message for everyone.

To delete messages for everyone:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat containing the message you wish to delete.
   
2. Tap and hold the message. Optionally, tap more messages to delete multiple messages at once.
   
3. Tap Delete at the top of the screen > Delete for everyone.
   

Note:

• In order for messages to be successfully deleted for everyone, both you and your recipient must be using the latest version of WhatsApp for Android, iPhone or Windows Phone.
  
• (*) If you or your recipient are not using the latest version of WhatsApp for Android, iPhone or Windows Phone, this feature will not be supported.
  
• Recipients may see your message before it's deleted or if deletion was not successful.
  
• You will not be notified if deleting for everyone was not successful.
  
• You only have about an hour after you've sent a message to Delete for Everyone.
  

To delete messages for yourself

Deleting messages for yourself allows you to delete your copy of messages you've sent or received from your phone. This has no effect on your recipients' chats. Your recipients will still see the messages in their chat screen. To delete messages for yourself:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat containing the message you wish to delete.
   
2. Tap and hold the message. Optionally, tap more messages to delete multiple messages at once.
   
3. Tap Delete at the top of the screen > Delete for me.