how to delete a whatsapp message

Have you ever sent a WhatsApp message and immediately regretted it? What if you could pull it back?

Deleting a sent WhatsApp message is really easy. You just tap and hold it, then tap the bin icon that appears in the top bar and say Ok to the message that pops up asking if you really want to delete it.

But we're guessing that's not really what you meant when you looked online for advice on how to delete a sent WhatsApp message. Our guess is you've sent a message and immediately regretted it, and now you're desperate to pull it back before it's read.

Right now, the only chance you have to do this is if the message has not already left your phone. If you see a tick beside the message it's already been sent (two ticks and it's been delivered, and two blue ticks and it's been read).

Delete a WhatsApp message before it is read with Delete for Everyone

The good news is this functionality is rolling out to WhatsApp now. Dubbed 'Delete for Everyone', some already have the functionality so do keep checking for updates.

There are a couple of caveats: first, you have only 7 minutes in order to delete the message, and second in place of the deleted message will be a notification that the message has been deleted, which could lead to some awkward questions.

To access the feature you simply tap and hold the message, then choose Delete for Everyone.

Do note that if your recipient has already read the message there is no way to make them forget they've seen it. If two blue ticks appear, they've already read it and it's too late.

Delete for Everyone works with all types of WhatsApp messages, whether they are text messages, videos, images, GIFs or documents. It will also work on both iOS and Android.