When texting multiple people at a time, it is possible to mistakenly send messages intended for someone else to the wrong chat. That's why removing those messages from the other person's chats is essential. The good thing is that the social messaging application allows you to delete any message that you have sent within a specific period.
To help users, this guide will comprehensively explain how to unsend a message on WhatsApp on all operating systems. In addition, we will share a bonus tool that will let you know whether the receiver reads your mistakenly sent message. In this way, you will be better positioned to decide whether to delete the message or explain yourself.
In this article
Part 1. Can You Unsend a WhatsApp Message Including Media?
The famous messaging app introduced the “Delete for Everyone” feature about 7 years ago. This function allows users to remove messages, including text and media, from their and the recipient's chat. Initially, the app allowed users to delete messages within 1 hour and 16 minutes after sending them. However, the time limit to delete messages was increased to 48 hours about two years ago.
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Only the sender can use this feature from their side in personal conversations. However, admins can utilize this feature to remove unnecessary texts from other members in a group chat. Similarly, the removed message will be replaced by the “This Message Was Deleted” text in the chats. Before learning how to unsend a WhatsApp message, remember that iOS users can access the removed media file if they save it on their devices before the deletion process.
Part 2. How to Unsend a WhatsApp Message on Different Platforms?
As said above, the unsend feature of this social messaging platform is available on all operating systems. Similarly, unsending a message is straightforward, no matter your device. For more comprehensive guidance, you can find detailed steps for each central operating system below:
1. For iPhone
Apart from a few changes in the user interface, the social messaging platform on iOS devices has the same features as on all other mobiles. Once you learn how to unsend a WhatsApp message on an Apple phone, you can do so on all types of devices.
Instructions: On your iOS device, open the social messaging app to access your chats. Next, get to the chat where you want to delete the messages for everyone. Afterward, tap and hold the specific message to select it and access the “Delete” button from the pop-up menu. Finally, utilize the “Bin” icon and follow up by pressing the “Delete for Everyone” option to unsend the message from the chat.
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2. For Android
The process to permanently delete messages on an Android device is the same as we did above. However, there are a few changes in the app design due to the differences in both operating systems. For those who want to learn how to unsend WhatsApp messages after they are delivered, the following guide will simplify the process:
Instructions: Access the chatting app on your Android device and go to the conversation where you want to remove a message. Now, you need to select the message by tapping and holding it. When the reactions pop up, a small menu bar is at the top. Access the “Bin” icon from there and tap the “Delete for Everyone” button to remove it from the recipient’s device permanently.
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3. For Web
Although it differs from mobile devices, unsending messages on the messaging platform's web version is still straightforward. You must ensure that you are correctly logged in to the web version and that your messages are synced. After that, you can follow the detailed steps shown below to learn how to unsend a WhatsApp message on the web version:
Step 1. Open the chat from which you want to delete the media file on the app's web version. After locating the message, click the "Arrow Down" icon to access the drop-down menu. Press the "Delete" option from that menu to start the deletion process.
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Step 2. Once the message is selected, you can tick mark other media files in the chat to delete them in a batch. Next, find the “Bin” icon at the bottom side of the screen and press it.
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Step 3. A small pop-up window will appear on the screen, displaying two deleting options. From these two options, hit the “Delete for Everyone” button to finalize the process.
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4. For WhatsApp App
While the web version of the messaging application does the job of sending and receiving messages, users can’t use it to make phone calls. The desktop version is a good choice, given its extensive features for PC users. On the desktop version, you can follow the given steps to learn how to unsend WhatsApp messages after they are delivered:
Step 1. Launch the desktop app on your PC and access the chat in which you accidentally sent the message. After that, move your cursor to the “Arrow Down” icon beside the message. When the drop-down menu appears, click the “Delete” option to remove the message.
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Step 2. Select the "Delete for Everyone" option from the small pop-up screen in the final step. Finally, press the "Delete" button below the options to permanently remove it from the chat.
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Part 3. How to Check If Someone Has Read Your WhatsApp Message Before Deleting It?
Although the above sections explain how to unsend a WhatsApp message on all devices, you must know when to use this feature. In most cases, the receiver may quickly read the sent message without you knowing about it. When that happens, talking to them is better than deleting the messages. However, you will need advanced tools like WaLastseen to tell whether the other person has read your messages.
It uses publicly available data to inform users about the online availability of their contacts. Its mobile version provides the exact online duration of these contacts, which helps you decide whether it's a good idea to unsend messages. Additionally, WaLastseen lets you choose customized notification tones to inform you about other people's online activity. Despite that, the tool records your contact's activity for over a month.
Key Features- Multiple Contacts: The app allows you to add two or more contacts for comprehensive activity tracking simultaneously.
- Web Support for iOS: Since the application is not available on iPhone, users can try its online version, which also prevents unnecessary phone burdens.
- Multiple accounts: Unlike the official app, WaLastseen lets users simultaneously use more than two WhatsApp accounts on a single phone.
- Status Saver: You don’t need to install any additional program since the tool allows you to save your contacts’ stories directly from it.
Now that we know how to unsend a message on WhatsApp and WaLastseen's top features, let's go through a detailed guide to using this tool's activity tracking feature. To do so, you can follow the detailed steps that are outlined next:
Step 1. Install the WaLastseen Mobile App and Grant Permissions
To begin the tracking process, download the WaLastseen application on your phone. Once done, launch it and press the "Add Contacts" button on the main screen. A pop-up will appear on the screen, and you must choose the "Allow" option.
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Step 2. Select the Target Contacts and Choose Your Country Code
After the permissions are granted, you will see all the contacts on the screen. Here, you need to tap the “Add” button next to the contacts’ numbers to track them. When it takes you to the next screen, select the country code and tap the “Start Tracking” button.
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Step 3. Purchase the Subscription Plan to Continue the Tracking Process
Since WaLastseen is a premium app, you must buy a subscription plan to start the monitoring process. On your screen, you will see three subscription plans the application offers, from which you must choose your desired one. After selecting the plan, hit the “Buy Now” button, and the app will start tracking activity. Finally, tap the tracked contacts image and go to the “Activity” tab to access the detailed timeline.
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Conclusion
In short, while sending messages in the wrong chats is a troubling experience, the app's deleting features make it easier to unsend them. With the detailed steps outlined in this article, you can quickly learn how to unsend a message on WhatsApp. Although the app supports deleting such messages within two days of sending them, it becomes pointless when the recipient has read the contents.
Using tools that inform you about your contacts' online activity is better in such cases. Tools like WaLastseen simplify this tracking process by sending notifications to users. In this way, you can make a better decision to either unsend the messages or explain the situation to the recipient.
FAQ
Q1. Can I unsend a message without the recipient seeing it?
Although you can delete the message to ensure the recipient cannot see its content, they are still notified that something is deleted from the chat. Therefore, being careful when sending messages or media files is recommended.Q2. What happens if the recipient has read the message?
When the receiver has seen the message's contents, they will be able to save them somewhere else or respond to you. Even then, you can unsend the messages, although it will be too late.Q3. Can I delete a message after the time limit?
Since WhatsApp only allows you to unsend messages within two days of sending them, it is impossible to delete them afterward. However, you can request the recipient to delete the message from their side if the contents are personal or confidential.