If you have gotten tired of the messenger, had your phone lost or stolen, knowing how to delete WhatsApp can be helpful. The process is quite simple and can be done in a few minutes in the app. The other versions of the platform, it is worth noting, do not offer this possibility.
Before proceeding, you should understand what the effects of this action are. The process takes 90 days for the platform to complete. However, once the user confirms the decision, it becomes irreversible – there is no “cooling off period”. So even if you delete your WhatsApp account (Android | iOS | Web) by accident, you cannot get it back.
In fact, the account is lost along with your message history, all groups, as well as your Google Drive and iCloud backup, among other data. This does not mean, however, that messages sent to other people will be affected: they will remain on those users’ devices and in the original communication channels.
According to the messenger, some registration information may remain in the database. In this case, the platform guarantees that they will become anonymous. This storage may be for legal reasons, breach of terms, damage prevention efforts, or other reasons. The point is: the data will not be linked to your identity.
To delete WhatsApp go to the app settings. Click the three-dot button on Android, and on iOS, select the gear located in the bottom right corner. Then tap on “Account”;
Among the available options, choose the “Delete my account” command;
On the next screen, confirm your phone number and once again click “Delete my account”.
This method only works for those who still have access to their WhatsApp profile. But what do you do when your phone is lost, stolen or robbed? In this scenario, the user must follow another path.
How to delete WhatsApp account in case of theft
According to the platform itself, the safest thing to do is to request the SIM card to be blocked by the carrier. Once this is done, there are two possible ways:
Use a new chip with the same number to activate WhatsApp on another phone. This is the fastest way to regain access to your account and prevent third party intrusion;
Or send an email to support (support@support.whatsapp.com) with “Lost/stolen: deactivate my account” in the body of the email. In the message, include your phone number with country code and area code, as in the example.
As you can imagine, the effects of the deactivation process are different. To begin with, your contacts will still be able to view your profile. In some cases it is also possible to recover the Google Drive and iCloud backup.
In addition, messages will remain pending for up to 30 days. When you regain access to your account, you can view them as usual. However, if you do not reactivate your registration within this period, it will be deleted automatically.
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