WhatsApp: How to see deleted messages

WhatsApp is one of the most popular social media apps in South Africa – and the world – and it has more than 2 billion users. If you have WhatsApp, then you might already be familiar with the dreaded deleted messages feature.

Someone sends you a message, but deletes it before you could see what the message said.

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A deleted message can still be seen – if you know how.

Here’s how to view a sender’s deleted content on WhatsApp.

WHAT ARE DELETED MESSAGES?

Deleted WhatsApp messages allow for senders to erase something they’ve just sent, usually by mistake.

The feature was first introduced to WhatsApp as an extra security measure, but can also have drawbacks.

Deleted content can confuse a discussion’s context, or erase messages that could have been important for legal reasons.

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When a message is deleted as “For Everyone” there is still an easy way to see what the message was.

WHY DO PEOPLE DELETE MESSAGES?

Deleted messages are a way to erase something on WhatsApp that you’ve sent by mistake, but it can also be used to someone’s advantage to change the context of a discussion or erase important messages.

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Deleted messages can be frustrating, though WhatsApp has a way to see these messages.

HOW TO SEE DELETED MESSAGES ON WHATSAPP

Deleted messages can still be seen, but you can’t access them directly via WhatsApp.

According to AirDroid.com, it’s possible to see deleted messages on WhatsApp as app notifications.

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While a deleted message may be deleted after it has been sent, it will still be in the App Notifications menu – and if you go to your App Settings and look at Notifications History, you can see most (or all) of what was deleted.

This is because messages can be shown as a “drop down” notification It leaves a trace of the message on the recipient’s phone that can still be seen, even when the message was removed.